Institute targeted at bridging sugar production gap – NSDC

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has clarified the institutional status of the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), noting that it serves as a national center aiding the country’s drive towards self-sufficiency and competitiveness in sugar production. Mr. Bakrin explained that the NSI was established […]

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has clarified the institutional status of the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), noting that it serves as a national center aiding the country’s drive towards self-sufficiency and competitiveness in sugar production.

Mr. Bakrin explained that the NSI was established as a purpose-built national institution to serve as the research, training and technical backbone of the country’s sugar sector, operating under the strategic oversight of the NSDC. According to him, “the Institute was incorporated in June 2019 and formally commissioned in January 2021, with its headquarters located in Ilorin, Kwara State. He said NSI was deliberately designed as a shared, industry-wide platform to consolidate research, manpower development and technical support in one national hub.

“The Nigeria Sugar Institute is a purpose-built national institution established to serve as the research, training and technical backbone of Nigeria’s sugar industry.

“It operates under the strategic oversight of the NSDC and exists to ensure consistent access to quality planting materials, skilled manpower and credible technical expertise for the industry,” he said.

He explained that NSI houses specialised bio-factory and tissue culture laboratories which play a critical role in varietal development, seedcane multiplication and applied research, supporting both the sugar and ethanol value chains. These facilities, he noted, are central to addressing one of the sector’s long-standing challenges—access to high-quality planting materials.

Bakrin stressed that contrary to some perceptions, the Institute was not set up to serve a narrow group of operators but as an industry-wide resource accessible to all players. He added that sugar operators are already utilising NSI’s services for seedcane supply, capacity building and technical support.

“As the Institute continues to scale and demonstrate value, discussions around broader industry participation and long-term support will naturally evolve,” he said, noting that NSI is “functioning exactly as intended—as a national centre of excellence strengthening the growth, resilience and competitiveness of Nigeria’s sugar industry.”