The continuous importation of sugar, especially from the global market to Nigeria, has posed a negative effect on the country’s economy.
The practice, however, explains why Nigeria is unable to attain self-dependent in sugar production, despite the country’s capacity and resources to meet the sugar needs of other countries, which would have added value from exporting the product
Amina Abdullahi-Tumba, the Lafia Head of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), stated this at the training of 80 sugarcane farmers in Lafia, the state capital.
The participants at the training were drawn from Lafia, Doma, Awe, Obi and Keana Local Government Areas of the state, to ensure that Nigeria achieve self sufficiency in sugar production.
According to the state NEPC boss, the training of the 80 sugarcane producers was basically to add value in the production of sugar, such that can be processed for exportation.
She therefore, added that the training was in line with the efforts of the Federal government to implement the Nigeria Sugar Master plan, as well as to diversify the economy and to ensure that the non-oil sector is fully developed as part of it economy recovery plan.
Abdullahi-Tumba said that, the programme was aimed at equipping the producers with requisite skills to produce enough sugar for local consumption and possibly export same product that would add value to the economy.
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“The climatic condition of Nasarawa State in particular is conducive enough for sugarcane farming and I hope the participants in the training will take the advantage of the good climatic condition to go into sugar farming.
“If sugarcane farmers in the state practice the value addition strategy, they would export the products from sugarcane to other countries of the world,” Abdullahi-Tumba said.
According to her, Nigeria’s over dependence on importing sugar from the global market has posed negative effects to country and its citizens.
Abdulmumini Aminu, president, National Sugarcane Producers Processors and Markers Association of Nigeria (NASPPMAN) lauded NEPC for the training and pledged to put to practice every knowledge gained during the training.
The NASPPMAN President expressed worried how Nigeria government spent billions annually on the importation of refined sugar, saying, with the training been given and the efforts being made, all that would soon come to an end.
The Nasarawa State Chairman of NASPPMAN, Ibrahim Akha-Mohammed said, the training was apt and also promised to utilise the lessons learned to improve production of sugarcane as well as add value to it.
“I believe that the pilot cluster farming that had commenced in Nasarawa State would soon attract local and foreign investors to the state,” he said.
