Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, has announced that the Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc is significantly scaling up its investment in the sugar sub-sector in line with the requirement of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan.
The company said it is committing over $700 million to its investment in the Backward Integration Programme.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the 2022/2023 Crushing Season and Outgrower Scheme Awards in Numan, Adamawa State, Dangote said the company is making massive investments in Adamawa State through the expansion of DSR Numan sugar refining capacity from 3,000 tonnes of cane per day (tcd) to 6,000 tcd, 9,800 tcd and to 15,000 tcd.
He said increasing the sugar refining capacity will require a corresponding increase in sugarcane production capacity.
Dangote said the company has concluded plans to increase its sugar plantation from the current land area under cane production of about 8,700 hectares in 2022 to about 24,200 hectares within the next seven years.
Read also: Dangote Sugar posts N36.27bn profit in nine months
He said the company will double its scholarship and empowerment schemes in its host communities.
He said: “We will continue to introduce more initiatives to support our host communities. Through these initiatives and our numerous Corporate Social Responsibility activities, DSR Numan will be able to touch the lives of the people, bringing social, economic, and infrastructural development to our host communities.
“We are thus committing over $700 million to our investment in the Backward Integration Programme to enable us to put in place needed infrastructure for the eventual commencement of full-scale production.”
Dangote said Dangote Sugar will change the trajectory by making Nigeria self-sufficient in the sector.
He said the company had already spent billions of naira in developing infrastructural facilities for host communities.
Speaking at the event, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, minister of industry, trade, and investment, described the Dangote Sugar Refinery as the biggest contributor to the sugar development stride of the Federal Government.
He commended Aliko Dangote and the management staff of Dangote Sugar Refinery for their massive support through the company’s corporate social responsibility scheme, which he said should be highly commended.
He said agencies under his ministry will partner with the company to provide the technical know-how that will support the Dangote empowerment schemes in the host communities.
In the same vein, Umaru Fintiri, governor of Adamawa State, who was represented by his deputy, Crowther Seth, said he was amazed by the social-economic transformation carried out by the Dangote Group.
He assured the company of the support of the state government and enjoined other corporate bodies to imbibe Dangote’s spirit of job creation across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, Hama Bachama, Daniel Shaga Ismail described Dangote as God-sent and pledged that his people would continue to support the company.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
