NSDC, Abuja Chamber of Commerce Collaborate on Sugar Investment Drive

Oluwakemi Kindness

The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) is partnering with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) to seek potential collaborations that can add value to the Council’s search for serious investments into the sugar subsector.

Discussions on the pact commenced with the visit of ACCI leadership led by Emeka Obegolu, SAN, to the Executive Secretary of the Council, Kamar Bakrin.

Bakrin who shared the history and mandate of the Council as well as the destination and the direction of the council said the target is for us to be able to produce 2 million metric tons of sugar annually to covers the current annual consumption of about 1.8 million tons.

According to a statement on Wednesday by the council, Bakrin said a key measure is the identification and operationalization of viable sites for the growing of sugarcane and for the production of sugar.

“Part of what we are doing in that regard is a comprehensive nationwide survey of the most viable sites for growing cane, as well as the establishment of a robust technology platform for tracking the various attributes of the sites that are so identified”.

“So, this, in a nutshell, is what we set out to do. Since coming on board, we have been able to invigorate the council, to be able to really step up and drive aggressively towards achieving these mandates.

“We take ACCI very seriously and we expect that we will be able to key into some of your activities and that they will actually lead to fruitful partnerships with the Council, I mean, the various parties that ACCI represents, as well as those interests that we are seeking to promote on our side,” the Executive Secretary said.

Speaking earlier, the ACCI president said they were in the Council to seek the sort of partnership and collaboration that will add value to the mandate of the NSDC.