NSDC rolls out modern planting technology to drive local sugar output

 

The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has unveiled plans to deploy modern planting technology aimed at significantly boosting sugar production across the country.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the council, Kamar Bakrin, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend.

Bakrin said the council has established dedicated seedcane farms to support ongoing and upcoming greenfield sugar projects across Nigeria. He explained that greenfield projects involve the development of new sugar estates and processing plants on previously undeveloped land, allowing for the adoption of modern infrastructure and large-scale farming practices.

According to him, the NSDC, through the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), is introducing advanced planting techniques, particularly the pre-sprouted bud set (bud chip) technology, marking a major departure from the traditional whole-cane planting method.

He noted that the NSI is already building capacity for large-scale bud chip propagation and integrating the technology into its research, training and extension programmes nationwide.

“The impact is significant,” Bakrin said. “This technology ensures faster estate establishment, lower planting costs, improved field uniformity and enhanced quality control.”

Bakrin added that the bud chip technology allows for faster multiplication of planting materials, reduces production costs and cuts between 12 and 18 months from the sugar project development cycle.

He stressed that the council’s drive for sustainable investments would strengthen Nigeria’s domestic sugar industry, reduce dependence on imports and support the country’s industrialisation and food security goals.

Last year, the NSDC signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with four greenfield sugar project promoters — Brent Sugar (Oyo State), Niger Foods (Niger State), Legacy Sugar (Adamawa State), and UMZA (Bauchi State) — with a combined target of producing 400,000 tonnes of sugar annually.

Bakrin said the projects are strategically located across the South-West, North-Central and North-East regions to harness Nigeria’s diverse agro-climatic advantages and promote widespread economic benefits, including job creation, infrastructure development and local business growth.

“Greenfield sugar projects are critical to closing Nigeria’s domestic sugar production gap. These MoUs are not symbolic; they represent concrete investment commitments that will translate into real production outcomes,” he said.

He added that the investments would deliver long-term value to both the sugar industry and the Nigerian economy.