The Federal Government has tasked the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) to reach a production capacity of 600,000 metric tonnes (MT) per annum by 2030.

The Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, gave the charge during a visit to the company’s complex in Numan, Adamawa.

Enoh was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, (NSDC) Mr. Kamar Bakrin.

The minister said the visit formed part of ongoing inspections of sugar projects nationwide, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to accelerate Nigeria’s attainment of self-sufficiency in sugar production.

He said that Nigeria’s annual sugar consumption stood at about 1.8 million metric tonnes, far above current local production levels.

According to him, as a leading operator in the sector, Dangote Sugar must contribute significantly to bridging the supply gap.

“DSR is a very big player in the industry. Our circumstances in this sector will continue to depend on what DSR does.

“The company must deliver at least 600,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030 and sustain the output thereafter,” he said.

He commended the council for its role in driving the implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan, noting that collaboration among stakeholders remained critical.

“I have lost count of the number of times Mr President has spoken about the development of the sugar industry at Federal Executive Council meetings,” he said.

The minister described the infrastructure and level of investment at the Numan facility as evidence of commitment to the Backward Integration Programme.

He, however, stressed the need to accelerate efforts to meet national targets, assuring that government would support operators to overcome existing challenges.

“We are aware that there are issues, including access to affordable long-term finance. Government is ready to work with stakeholders to address them,” he said.

Enoh added that scaling up production was essential to meeting national expectations and reducing dependence on imports.

He said the programme had created employment opportunities and added value through local processing of sugarcane.

The Vice President of the Dangote Group, Mr. Olakunle Alake, assured the minister of the company’s commitment to expand production capacity.

Alake said the firm would invest more resources to meet the 600,000 metric tonnes target by 2030.

The minister and his team inspected the new 6,000 tonnes-per-day factory expansion site, as well as harvest fields, mills and processing facilities during the visit.

The inspection also covered haulage systems, boilers, turbines and sugar bagging operations at the warehouse.

The federal government recently launched the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

The NSMP was launched to achieve self-sufficiency, reduce reliance on imported sugar, and bridge the massive gap between local production and the national consumption rate of approximately 1.8 million metric tonnes annually.(NAN)