The Federal Government has renewed its push to reposition Nigeria’s sugar industry, with the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, calling for the full operational take-off of the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI) in Ilorin, Kwara State, as a key driver of industrialisation and local sugar production.
Senator Enoh made the appeal during an official visit to the Institute, where he commended the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, and his team for what he described as “painstaking reforms” and visible transformation within a short period.
He said the Institute must now move beyond partial functionality to full operational capacity, stressing that its role in building technical manpower, research output, and innovation is central to Nigeria’s ambition of achieving self-sufficiency in sugar production.
“I have found the NSDC Executive Secretary to be passionate, focused, and committed to achieving the set objectives of the NSI,” Enoh said. “The reforms, capacity building and infrastructural upgrades are commendable. However, I must urge that this Institute becomes fully operational because of its critical role in our industrialisation drive.”
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting both the NSDC and NSI, while urging sustained collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate transformation across the sugar value chain.
NSI Positioned as Backbone of Sugar Industry Reform
The Nigeria Sugar Institute is a purpose-built national centre established as the research, training, and technical backbone of the country’s sugar sector. Incorporated in June 2019 and formally commissioned in January 2021, it operates under the strategic oversight of the NSDC and is headquartered in Ilorin.
The Institute houses advanced bio-factory and tissue culture facilities dedicated to varietal development, seedcane multiplication, and applied research for both sugar and ethanol value chains. It is designed as a shared national platform to ensure consistent access to quality planting materials, technical expertise, and skilled manpower across the industry.
Already, industry operators are actively engaging NSI for seedcane supply, training, and technical support, positioning it as an emerging centre of excellence within the sector.
Reforms Transforming a Dormant Facility
Since taking office in October 2023, Mr. Bakrin has overseen a major transformation of the NSI from a largely inactive facility into a functioning industry hub for research, training, and technical services.
More than 60 staff members have undergone structured capacity-building programmes, covering both managerial and technical competencies. These include project management, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, conflict resolution, strategic communication, and professional reporting.
On the technical side, staff received hands-on training in laboratory instrumentation, soil analysis, solution preparation, and equipment maintenance skills critical to strengthening NSI’s biofactory operations and research output.
The Institute has also been repositioned as a national training centre through the NSDC/NSI Boot Camp initiative, which delivers practical training in sugar processing, refining, quality control, industrial safety, and environmental compliance.
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A comprehensive curriculum has been developed for factory operations, covering the entire sugar production cycle from cane preparation and juice extraction to crystallisation, refining, and by-product utilisation with emphasis on safety and sustainability.
The Biofactory has also upgraded its standard operating procedures for sugarcane production, including explant sterilisation, culture media formulation, and acclimatisation technologies to improve productivity and research reliability.
In addition, the Institute has supported industry capacity building through technical training for staff of Sunti Golden Sugar Estate, as well as a field-to-factory programme for 20 new recruits at BUA Foods’ LASUCO operations, aimed at improving operational efficiency and industry understanding.
With ongoing reforms and expanding technical capacity, the Federal Government says the Nigeria Sugar Institute is expected to play a decisive role in strengthening local production, building industrial capacity, and advancing Nigeria’s broader sugar sector transformation agenda.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.