By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has reiterated that the recent extension of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) of 10 years by the federal government would boost sugar investors’ confidence and self-sufficiency and attract more investments to the industry.
The Executive Secretary of the council, Mr Zacch Adedeji, stated this in Lafiagi in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State this week when he led some senior officials of the agency on an inspection visit to the Lafiagi Sugar Company, a subsidiary of BUA Foods Ltd, located in Lafiagi.
He said that the visit was primarily to assess the level of work so far done by the company, discuss the new modalities for reporting progress in line with the NSMP Phase II guidelines and harp more on the supremacy of the NSMP.
Mr Adedeji also said that the extension of the plan would go a long way in creating self-sufficiency in sugar production and boosting the export of sugar to neighbouring African nations.
According to him, “With an initial 10-year mandate to revitalize the sector to enable Nigeria to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production, the NSMP was first launched in 2012 and began operation in 2013.
“Only recently, the Federal Executive Council approved the second phase of the Plan to operate from 2023 to 2033, a development hailed by top industry players.
“Like I have said elsewhere, the granting of the NSMP phase II by President Muhammadu Buhari is a reconfirmation of the trust and confidence that he has in the sector.”
“This singular act points to the fact that Nigerians are pleased with what the Council, our supervising ministry and operators have been doing with regard to the meaningful revitalization of the sugar sector.
“To whom much is given, expectedly, much would be expected. We are quite optimistic that a lot would be achieved in this phase 11 of the NSMP,” he added.
