MINNA – The Governor of Niger state, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 3 companies for the mass cultivation of sugarcane and production of sugar.
The MoU between; Uttham Sucrotech International, Rite Foods Ltd, Legacy Sugar Company Ltd and the state government’s owned, Niger Foods is for a 3-year cultivation of 148, 000 hectares of land to provide basic raw material to feed 6 Sugar companies to be established in the state, and 4 to be located between Shiroro and Minna the state capital.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital Media and Strategy, Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo who disclosed details of the agreement said the MOU which signed at Government House Minna is a giant leap towards achieving agricultural revolution of the Bago led administration.
Each of the 6 sugar factories, according to him is estimated to have a capacity of 5, 000 to 15, 000 (TCD) tonnes of Sugarcane crushed per day, producing the likes of Sugar, Ethanol and Power (clean energy).
The sugar companies when fully functional has expected yearly projection of, 1.6 million tonnes of sugar and 1.45 million tonnes of ethanol to boost both domestic food production and for export purposes.
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Ebbo also hinted that the agreement will serve as avenues providing enabling environment for other components to invest in the state and as well open several windows of opportunities to Nigerlites and Nigerians in general for industrialization.
In addition to improving food security and the quality of life of citizens, Usman Ebbo said the project will align with the state government’s Green Economy Initiative, with ethanol blending with fuel to reduce carbon footprints in the state.
He enumerated other derivable benefits to the state to include; production and provision by Uttham Sucrotech Company, of 110, 000 out growers and other by-products of sugarcane such as refined ethanol, power, cattle feeds and as well empowerment of local farmers for self-sufficiency.
The initiatives will also see to the provision of an off-take program of, 145 million litres of ethanol from the sugar plants with each of them advantageous to the farmers as they were expected to be making between 5 and 6 million Naira revenue yearly.
Usman Ebbo also hinted that the initiative has added benefit of reducing pressure on the dollar while at the same time guaranteeing increase in community growth and development amongst others.
In addition, the out-grower and off-taker components of the MoU will not only encourage community participation and bring about poverty alleviation because there will be jobs creation, skills acquisitions, trainings but also lead to more communities participation for speedy growth and development of the state.
