The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has reaffirmed the Council\u2019s commitment to addressing all obstacles hindering sugar production in Nigeria. He gave this assurance during a tripartite meeting held with officials of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and key operators of the Backward Integration Programme (BIP).<\/p>\n
Speaking at the meeting chaired by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, Bakrin noted that the NSDC has significantly enhanced the oversight and monitoring framework of the BIP operators, going beyond the previous structure managed by the Sugar Industry Monitoring Group (SIMOG).<\/p>\n
He explained that under his leadership, the Council has adopted a more proactive and results-driven approach\u2014engaging operators directly through both physical and virtual platforms, assigning clear targets, and closely tracking their progress on agreed deliverables.<\/p>\n
Sharing insights from consultations with BIP stakeholders, Bakrin highlighted several challenges raised by operators. These include persistent loopholes in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) regime\u2014which some actors have allegedly exploited\u2014delays in clearing critical equipment at the ports, ongoing sugar smuggling, and resistance from host communities to BIP project expansion.<\/p>\n
He noted that steps are being taken to close the identified gaps in the FTZ framework, particularly through the amendment of the NSDC Act currently underway at the National Assembly. The legislative process, he said, has been collaborative\u2014incorporating feedback from relevant committees and industry stakeholders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ongoing amendment of the NSDC Act addresses key concerns raised by BIP operators and aims to create a more enabling environment that not only supports current players but also attracts new investors into Nigeria\u2019s sugar industry,\u201d Bakrin stated.<\/p>\n
The NSDC chief reiterated the Council\u2019s resolve to support the national sugar roadmap and ensure Nigeria achieves self-sufficiency in sugar production by eliminating regulatory bottlenecks, facilitating infrastructure improvements, and deepening stakeholder collaboration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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