Dangote to build N217bn sugar plant in Nasarawa, employ 100,000 Nigerians

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote is to build the continent’s largest sugar plantation capable of producing more than one and half million metric tons of sugar annually.

The N217bn sugar complex will have its base in Tunga Nasarawa State in northern Nigeria and will start on a 60,000 hectares plantation with an initial capacity of 400,000 tons of white sugar yearly, about a third of the country’s consumption and employ 100,000 persons.

Dangote who is also President of Dangote Industries spoke Thursday in Abuja where he signed an agreement with the governor of Nasarawa state whom he thanked profusely for expediting the process.

Dangote is seeking to disrupt the section into which he forayed in February 1981 when he imported 5,000 tons of sugar into the country.  He has since gone on to expand his interest including the N38bn Savannah Sugar factory as well as a sugar refinery in the Apapa area of Lagos.

The Nasarawa plant will produce about 100MW of its own power, in addition to such products as ethanol, biomass and animal feed.

Even before construction work will begin, Dangote has approved for the commencement of social impact investment of around N250m in the Tunga Awe host communities.