The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, has identified technology as a critical factor to Nigeria’s drive to grow its sugar industry, adding that production could be fast-tracked through the use of cutting edge technologies by sugar factory owners.
She dropped this hint at the official inauguration of a sugarcane bio-factory in Ilorin, Kwara State, which was established by the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) in collaboration with the University of Ilorin Sugar Research Institute.
Speaking on the importance of the project to attain the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), the minister noted that the facility was designed to “address the critical constraint facing the Nigerian sugar industry by ensuring timely provision of high quality seeds to our sugar estates
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Sunday Edet Akpan, noted that the efficiency in the cultivation and supply of quality sugarcane is essential for milling and production of sugar and associated by-products like ethanol and electricity.
In his remark, the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, (NSDC), Dr. Latif Busari, said the bio-factory facility, which is the outcome of a collaborative effort between the NSDC and the University of Ilorin Sugar Research Institute, is a bold step towards addressing problems linked to the production of clean, pure and disease-free sugarcane seeds in the country.
According to Busari, “The application of biotechnology in agricultural development in Nigeria is experiencing some push recently. This is necessary if we must achieve food security and provide raw materials for our agro-based industries. The sugar industry is part of the larger picture and our expectation is that this facility will contribute its quota to the attainment of the goals of the NSMP.”