The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has commenced the implementation of the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) 2.0 with the completion of the first cohort of a specialised residential technical training programme designed to develop the skilled workforce needed to expand Nigeria’s domestic sugar production and reduce dependence on imports.
According to a statement by the council on Monday, the initiative marks a major step in the execution of the revised sugar development strategy, which targets the production of two million metric tonnes of sugar locally by strengthening technical capacity across sugarcane cultivation and factory operations.
Speaking at the Nigeria Sugar Institute campus in Ilorin, Kamar Bakrin, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NSDC, said achieving sugar self-sufficiency would require a new generation of highly skilled professionals capable of improving productivity throughout the industry’s value chain.
He explained that the National Sugar Master Plan 2.0 places strong emphasis on improving land preparation, irrigation systems, high-yield seed cane production and efficient factory operations to transform Nigeria’s sugar industry into a competitive, profitable and sustainable sector.
