‘Dangote sugar investments will promote infrastructure growth’

With a national yearly import of over $337million, the management of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has declared its commitment to the backward integration policy of the Federal Government to make Nigeria self-sufficient in sugar production.

The company, which is committing over $700million to its sugar projects, told visiting members of the Nasarawa House of Assembly at the weekend that its investment in sugar will revolutionise the economy of the state.

The state lawmakers commended the Dangote Group for the choice of the state for the project and the accelerated pace with which the project was being executed despite occasional communal disagreements.

Nigeria is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest importers of sugar second only to South Africa. But the Dangote Sugar management assured the lawmakers that by the time the company fully completes the project, the nation would be saved of more than half of the foreign exchange expended on sugar importation.

General Manager for the Backward Integration Project, Dangote Sugar, Mr. John Beverley, said when the factory is fully operational, it would have the capacity to crush 12,000 tons cane per day (tcd) while 90MW power will be generated for both the company and host communities.

He disclosed also that some 500km roads in all will be constructed to ease transportation within the vicinity, even as he solicited the support of the lawmakers in controlling the menace of land encroachment by settlers and itinerant farmers.