FRI NOV 22 2024-theGBJournal| Niger State Government through the Niger Foods, in collaboration with the Nigeria Sugar Development Council of Nigeria secures a deal with Uttham Sucrotech, to develop 250,000 Hectares of Sugarcane fields and 6 Sugar/Ethanol plants in the State over the next 3 years.
The agreement which was sealed during a side-event of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a bold step towards reviving the $2.5B Nigeria Sugar Industry, to promote rural Industrialisation and to achieve the food security agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Uttham Sucrotech, is a consortium, composed of Sugar Value Chain experts from Brazil and India.
Part of the deal is that the Niger Farms project will harness about 90,000 Hectares on the shoulder of the recently flagged-off Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway to produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of Sugar, 250 million litres of Ethanol, and generate 300 MW of Electricity.
It will also create 100,000 direct jobs, and 250,000 indirect jobs aside from the projected 750,000 out grower Participants.
Speaking at the event, Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the unprecedented initiatives for the socio-economic development of Nigeria, including Sokoto-Badagry the Superhighway.
He explained that, part of the component of the Superhighways that pass through Niger State will open thousands of Hectares of Arable land which will be part of the field to be used in the Sugar project.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, was full of praises for the Farmer Governor, for his private sector approach to the development of Agriculture, especially the creation of Niger Foods including its decision to partner with the world’s renowned and leading Sugar producers.
The Minister of Agriculture, Abba Kyari in his remarks, said the development of the Sugar value chain will give birth to a vibrant livestock industry in Niger State including mixed cropping of sugar with Soyabean.
The Executive Secretary, Nigeria Sugar Council, Mr. Kamar Bakrin explained that Nigeria, Brazil, and India have been in partnership since in the 60s, developing sugarcane.
He noted that the Nigeria Sugar Industry is experiencing setbacks, as it is now cultivating less than 20,000 Hectares and producing about 540,000 Metric tonnes which is about 3% of Nigeria’s current Sugar demand, a situation which he said is disturbing compared to Brazil and India that are producing 41million metric tonnes and 36million metric tonnes respectively.
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