The Federal Government has tasked Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) with achieving a production capacity of 600,000 metric tonnes per annum by 2030.
The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, issued the directive during a visit to the company’s complex in Numan, Adamawa State. He was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr Kamar Bakrin.
Senator Enoh said the visit was part of ongoing inspections of sugar projects nationwide, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to accelerate Nigeria’s drive towards self-sufficiency in sugar production.
He noted that Nigeria’s annual sugar consumption stands at approximately 1.8 million metric tonnes—far exceeding current local output. As a leading operator in the sector, Dangote Sugar must play a significant role in bridging this supply gap.
“DSR is a very big player in this industry. Our circumstances in this sector will continue to depend on DSR’s actions,” the minister said. “The company must deliver at least 600,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030 and sustain that output thereafter.”
He commended the NSDC for driving the implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) and stressed that stakeholder collaboration remains critical. “I have lost count of the number of times Mr President has spoken about the development of the sugar industry at Federal Executive Council meetings,” he added.
The minister described the infrastructure and investment levels at the Numan facility as evidence of commitment to the Backwards Integration Programme. However, he called for accelerated efforts to meet national targets and assured operators of government support in overcoming existing challenges.
“We are aware of issues, including access to affordable long-term finance. The government is ready to work with stakeholders to address them,” Senator Enoh said. He added that scaling up production is essential to reducing dependence on imports, creating employment, and adding value through local sugarcane processing.
In response, the Vice President of the Dangote Group, Mr Olakunle Alake, assured the minister of the company’s commitment to expanding production capacity. He said DSR would invest additional resources to meet the 600,000-tonne target by 2030.
During the visit, the minister and his team inspected the new 6,000-tonnes-per-day factory expansion site, as well as harvest fields, mills, processing facilities, haulage systems, boilers, turbines, and sugar bagging operations at the warehouse.
The Federal Government recently launched the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan to achieve self-sufficiency, reduce reliance on imported sugar, and bridge the massive gap between local production and the national consumption rate of roughly 1.8 million metric tonnes annually.
