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Mr. Kamar Bakrin, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), has discussed the possible effects of the Nigerian sugar sector on the economy and rural communities.

The head of the NSDC stated that a fully-established sugar industry has the potential to address Nigeria’s security issues at their core by generating employment opportunities and bringing development to rural regions.

Bakrin made this statement during a strategic meeting held between the NSDC and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and senior members of the Service, the NSDC head stated that contemporary sugar plantations are built to produce their own electricity separate from the national power network, while also providing additional energy for nationwide consumption.

If Nigeria manages to establish a strong sugar industry, one of our actions would be to transform an annual outflow of more than one billion dollars into employment opportunities, safety, and economic growth.

The industry has the potential to generate 250,000 direct positions and another 750,000 indirect roles throughout its supply chain, mainly in approximately 12 states.

The advantage is that these are jobs in the countryside, not in the city.

He also associated the growth of sugar plantations with enhanced national security, pointing out that these initiatives generate significant job prospects for youth who could otherwise be at risk of engaging in unlawful behavior and facing societal instability.

“When you implement sugar initiatives, there is no unrest or security issues, as it generates numerous job opportunities for young people,” he said.

A sugarcane plantation generates its own electricity; it doesn’t depend on the national power network. In fact, it supplies energy to the national grid.

A sugar plantation utilizes approximately 50 percent of the energy it generates, with the remaining portion available to be fed into the national power network.

“And we’re discussing 400 megawatts. This is sufficient to supply energy to a small, contemporary city or neighborhood,” he further mentioned.

Bakrin stated that in addition to sugar production, the sector presents significant potential for rural industrialization, energy security, infrastructure growth, and economic variety.

He characterized the Customs Service as the most essential regulatory body for the achievement of the sugar master plan, especially concerning quota management, import controls, financial incentives, and efforts against smuggling.

He pointed out that the federal government is committed to reducing the nation’s heavy dependence on sugar imports by promoting significant investments in local production via consistent policies and enhanced institutional cooperation.

The head of the NSDC mentioned that the effective execution of the NSMP II would transform more than one billion dollars currently spent each year on sugar imports into local investments that can generate employment, enhance rural areas, and boost Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.

He additionally revealed that Nigeria has more than one million hectares of land that has been tested and is appropriate for growing sugar, whereas approximately 200,000 hectares would be enough for the nation to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar.

He mentioned that investors, who are looking to invest billions of dollars in sugar initiatives, need assurance that the approved policies and benefits will be applied openly and uniformly.

In response, the Comptroller-General of Customs stated that the Service strongly backs the sugar sector’s transformation plan, referring to the industry’s anticipated energy output as a significant national economic chance.

“The possibility of generating employment, ensuring safety, promoting rural growth, and the additional benefits from energy that we can utilize aligns closely with Nigeria’s economic goals,” Adeniyi said.

He pledged to the NSDC that Customs is prepared to enhance intelligence exchange, data openness, quota enforcement, and operational cooperation to ensure the successful execution of the NSMP II.

The two organizations, therefore, reasserted their dedication to collaborate on five main areas aimed at addressing long-standing challenges related to the sustainability of sugar plantations and the appeal of essential investments in the industry.

These five key areas involve market stability, data regarding imports and importers, execution of quota distribution, application of sugar incentives, and addressing the issue of smuggling.

As stated by the NSDC head, the consequences of the aforementioned five key priorities involve the ongoing application of the approved financial incentives solely for verified, eligible operators; the delivery of real-time data exchange regarding sugar import quantities and importer details to support well-informed and strategic decision-making, along with consistent monitoring of the approved import limits.

The two agencies are also anticipated to collaborate in order to make sure that duty exemptions and varying tariffs are provided solely to authorized and verified operators, as well as to expedite the clearance of eligible machinery and equipment. They also committed to forming a joint intelligence and enforcement unit to fight against illegal sugar imports that are harming the industry.

The Head of the Audit Office also urged regular discussion sessions between the two organizations to evaluate the progress of implementation, tackle operational issues, and jointly update President Bola Tinubu on developments in the sector.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).