By Our Correspondent
National News – The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin, has said Nigeria’s sugar industry could create one million jobs and strengthen national security through rural economic development.
Bakrin spoke during a strategic meeting with the Nigeria Customs Service at the Customs headquarters in Abuja, where both agencies discussed ways to improve the implementation of the National Sugar Master Plan II.
Bakrin explained that the sugar sector could generate about 250,000 direct jobs and 750,000 indirect jobs across the sugar value chain in nearly 12 states.
According to him, the development of large-scale sugar estates would provide employment opportunities for thousands of youths living in rural communities, helping to reduce insecurity and criminal activities.
He noted that Nigeria currently spends more than one billion dollars annually on sugar imports, adding that proper investment in local sugar production would keep such funds within the country.
Bakrin also revealed that Nigeria possesses over one million hectares of land suitable for sugar cultivation, while only about 200,000 hectares are needed to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production.
The NSDC boss further stated that sugar estates have the capacity to generate electricity independently without relying on the national grid.
He said excess electricity generated from sugar projects could contribute about 400 megawatts of power to the national grid, enough to support modern communities and industries.
Bakrin stressed that investors would only commit billions of dollars to the sector if government policies, fiscal incentives, and import regulations are consistently enforced.
He identified the Nigeria Customs Service as a key institution responsible for enforcing import quotas, anti-smuggling measures, and industry regulations under the National Sugar Master Plan II.
Responding, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi assured the council of Customs’ support for the sugar sector transformation agenda.
He said the economic benefits of the sugar industry align with Nigeria’s priorities in job creation, rural development, energy generation, and industrial growth.
