By Felix Khanoba
The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has assured that the ongoing reforms and expansion efforts in the sugar industry will soon create thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
In an interview with “Industry Tracker,” a publication by the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN), Mr. Bakrin highlighted the Council’s mandate and the ambitious targets set for major sugar operators.
He assured that these expansion plans would generate significant employment opportunities in the coming months.
“You will see a lot of employment because each of the sugar operators has aggressive expansion plans. We have engaged them on what they need to do,” Bakrin stated.
He emphasized that these efforts would boost economic activity, benefiting local communities, suppliers, and contractors as infrastructure projects like irrigation and factory expansions are underway.
Acknowledging that sugar imports will continue for some time due to the industry’s long gestation period, Bakrin stressed the immediate benefits of job creation.
“I am talking about thousands of jobs, including sustainable factory jobs and seasonal farm jobs, which will have a significant economic impact,” he said.
Bakrin also addressed the issue of community hostility, a persistent challenge in the sugar industry. He outlined strategies within the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) II aimed at ensuring community acceptance and involvement.
These include allocating funds for community development projects and mandating local recruitment for various positions within sugar companies.
“We are mandating capital for community development, such as roads, schools, and clinics. We also require that a certain amount of recruitment must come from host communities for various roles, including managerial positions,” Bakrin explained. He added that the Council has already secured buy-in from sugar operators on these initiatives.
Furthermore, Bakrin announced the creation of a directorate-level stakeholder management department within the NSDC to handle community and inter-governmental engagements. This department aims to provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by sugar operators.
“We have engaged with governors of states where we are active, such as Nasarawa, Adamawa, Kwara, and Niger States, and received their commitments. For instance, an issue with a 2,000-hectare land dispute in one community was resolved after our engagement with the governor,” Bakrin noted.
In addition to expanding existing operations, the NSDC has identified 14 new “greenfield” sites with high potential for sugar production. These sites, ranging from 6,000 to 18,000 hectares, are located across the sugarcane belt and will undergo further evaluation for viability.
Bakrin reaffirmed that achieving self-sufficiency in sugar production remains the Council’s top priority, with a goal of reaching 2 million metric tonnes by 2032.
