FG Targets Sugar Self-sufficiency, Orders Full Activation Of NSI

Nigeria is intensifying efforts to achieve sugar self-sufficiency as the federal government moves to fully operationalise the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), positioning it as the central technical institution for driving reforms in the sector.

Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, issued the directive during an inspection of the Ilorin-based facility, insisting that the Institute must transition from partial functionality to full-scale operations capable of delivering manpower development, research output, and innovation support across the sugar value chain.

The push forms part of broader reforms aimed at reducing import dependence and strengthening domestic production capacity in line with Nigeria’s sugar industrialisation agenda.

Enoh commended the executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, for ongoing reforms at the Institute, but stressed that implementation must now move to full operational scale.

“I have found the NSDC executive secretary to be passionate, focused, and committed to achieving the set objectives of the NSI. The policy reforms, capacity building and infrastructural upgrade that have taken place in the Institute within a very short time are quite commendable.

“I must however urge the executive secretary not to rest until this place becomes fully operational. This is because the role the Institute has to play in our drive for increased local production and industrialisation of the sugar sector is so critical,” he said.

He further underscored the strategic importance of the Institute in Nigeria’s industrial policy direction.

“This Institute is too critical to operate below capacity. If Nigeria must achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production and industrialise the value chain, NSI must become the backbone for skills, research, and technical support,” he said.

The minister’s remarks reflect heightened government concern over persistent structural gaps that have slowed execution of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan, particularly in technical capacity, seed development, and coordinated industry training.

The NSI was established as a national centre of excellence to consolidate research, training, and technical services for the sugar sector. However, since its commissioning in 2021, the institution has operated below its intended capacity.
That trajectory is now shifting.Since assuming office in October 2023, Bakrin has undertaken a broad restructuring of the Institute, repositioning it as an industry-facing technical hub supporting both upstream production and downstream processing.

Over 60 staff have undergone structured capacity-building programmes covering project management, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, conflict resolution, strategic communication, and technical reporting, alongside laboratory and biofactory competencies.

Technical upgrades have also been implemented, with training in laboratory instrumentation, soil analysis, solution preparation, and equipment maintenance to strengthen operational efficiency within the biofactory.

The Institute has also expanded its training mandate through the NSDC/NSI Boot Camp initiative, delivering structured programmes in sugar processing, refining, quality control, industrial safety, and environmental compliance.

A full production-cycle curriculum has been developed covering cane preparation, extraction, crystallisation, refining, and by-product utilisation, with emphasis on operational safety and sustainability standards.

In addition, the biofactory has upgraded its standard operating procedures for sugarcane propagation, including explant sterilisation, culture media formulation, and acclimatisation protocols, aimed at improving seedcane quality and productivity.

The NSI has also conducted targeted industry training, including support for Sunti Golden Sugar Estate and a field-to-factory programme for 20 recruits at BUA Foods’ LASUCO operations, strengthening workforce integration across the value chain.

Enoh reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting both the NSDC and NSI, while stressing that delivery and execution will determine the success of ongoing reforms.

“The reforms are commendable, but the job is not done until the Institute is fully operational and delivering at scale,” he said.