Nigeria Can Earn $700m Annually with Sugar Master Plan—Dangote

September 21, 2021
Sugar Master Plan

By Sodeinde Temidayo David

The Chairman of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Mr Aliko Dangote, has expressed optimism with the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), saying the country could generate more revenue from the policy.

According to Mr Dangote, if the NSMP is executed as designed, it could fetch the nation foreign exchange in excess of $700 million yearly from the backward integration component of the plan.

“If the national sugar master plan is followed strictly and the players all follow the rules, the country will be better for it as Nigeria will save between $600 million and $700 million annually as forex,” he said when some businessmen visited Dangote Sugar in Lagos.

The Dangote Group boss, however, warned that the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) must be protected to insulate the Nigerian economy to be able to achieve the objectives of local manufacturing and job creation.

Mr Dangote also told his visitors that his organisation was scaling up its social intervention in communities hosting its companies across the country.

As stated by him, efforts were being made to impact positively on the host communities, saying his companies had expended billions of naira in states where these investments are located.

He further explained that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects undertaken by his companies were in addition to efforts by his foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, which is presently giving out micro-grants to vulnerable women in all the 774 local governments across the country.

The General Manager for the BIP, Dangote Sugar, Mr John Beverley, had also disclosed that when the factory is fully operational, it would have the capacity to crush 12,000 tons of cane per day, while 90MW power would be generated for both the company’s use and host communities.

Recall that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Niyi Adebayo, who was on a working tour of the Dangote’s expansive Savannah Sugar Company (SSCL) Ltd in Numan, Adamawa State and Tunga sugar project site in Nasarawa State, described the projects as huge, impressive and amazing.

In correlation, the Group Executive Director, Government and Strategic Relations, Mr Mansur Ahmed, had described Nasarawa State as one of the easiest states in the country to do business.

Also, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly lawmakers who earlier visited the Sugar Project site said they were highly elated and would give any legislative support to make the project a success.

At the meeting, the Group General Manager Mr Bello Dan-Musa, told the lawmakers that when the second phase of the project is completed, it would make it the largest integrated plant in Africa.

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