The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese engineering giant SINOMACH for a large-scale sugarcane cultivation and processing project.
The initiative is projected to attract over $1 billion in investment and aims to produce up to one million metric tonnes of sugar annually. This ambitious agreement is a product of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership championed by President Bola Tinubu, focusing on infrastructure, food security, and industrialisation.
SINOMACH will finance and construct a sugar production facility and a sprawling sugarcane plantation with an initial capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes annually, under an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction model.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in Abuja, NSDC Executive Secretary Kamar Bakrin described the deal as a transformative step toward reducing Nigeria’s reliance on sugar imports. He stressed the importance of developing local industries, calling the initiative a model for national self-sufficiency, rural development, and foreign exchange savings.
According to Bakrin, 2025 will be a “pivotal year” in delivering results under the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan. The council is tasked with facilitating permits and regulatory approvals, and it sees the partnership as a symbol of Nigeria’s readiness to industrialize its agricultural sector rapidly and sustainably.
Vice President of SINOMACH, Li Xiao Yu, praised Nigeria’s commitment to agricultural industrialisation and expressed admiration for the country’s Sugar Master Plan. He emphasized that the partnership is more than business, it’s about food sovereignty, job creation, and economic dignity.
Li also revealed plans to explore Renminbi (RMB)-based financing to fast-track the project and reduce costs. Optimistically, he said the host state for the sugar plant could soon earn the nickname “Sugar Bowl of West Africa,” marking a new era of investment and agro-industrial collaboration between China and Nigeria.
