Chris Agabi
9 October 2008
Lagos — In spite of the vast arable lands for growing sugarcane to produce enough sugar to meet Nigeria's consumption needs, the country still imports about 1.2 million metric tones of sugar annually, the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council has said.
Alhaji Usman Bello said the above figure represents 90 percent of the country's sugar needs.
He said this Tuesday in Lagos at the first Stakeholders Forum on Flexible Sugar Industry (FSI) 2008.
He said only about 100,000 tones of sugar is produced by the four major sugar companies in Nigeria. These are the Nigerian Sugar Company Bacita, Savana Sugar Company Numan, Lafiagi Sugar Company, Kwara and Sunti Sugar Company in Niger. There are an other 25 smaller ones.
"Currently we produce less that 10 percent of our sugar demand and we import about 90 percent. We consume about 1.3 million metric tonnes of sugar annually and we are importing about 1.2 million tones percent of it yet we have arable land all over the country. We produce about 100,000 tones", he said.
On the FSI initiative he said: "the flexible sugar initiative is meant to kill three birds with a stone - produce sugar, ethanol and electricity in one plant.
"It has never been done before here. All the sugar companies that we have produce only sugar but this is an opportunity with the new global wave of bio-fuel. So we want stakeholders to know the opportunities that exist in sugar cane."
On the global concerns of food sugar occasioned by using food crops to generate fuel and energy he explained that "yes there has been a global debate on it but it is just the by-products sugar cane that you use to ethanol and electricity. The beauty of it is that you don't have to produce ethanol at the expense of the sugar."
He said the meddle belt region of the country like the Taraba, Niger and Kogi states are good areas for the production of sugar cane. The far North with exception of the desert areas is also good. "But those areas that are not ideal for sugar cane can be ideal for ethanol production and electricity generation" he said.
On how the government can help the private sector under the Private Public Partnership to venture into the potential money spinner he said "as a regulator, we will assist in creating the enabling environment for investors. We would tell them where the opportunities exist and where to access equipments. We also have a product that supports people who grow the raw materials with fertilisers, soft loans, training and other supports."
Also at the conference, the president Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Alhaji M. Borodo represented by Mr. Fola Aresanya, pledge the manufacturers willingness to help improve sugar development in Nigeria.
The Imo state commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief Ben Obinali called on NSDC to explore the possibility of establishing ethanol plant in Imo and holding the FSI conference in the South East.
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