What you Should Know about the National Sugar Development Council(NSDC).

The National Sugar Development Council(NSDC) was established by DECREE 88 OF 1993 to among other things, promote the development of the Sugar sub-sector through the provision of guidance on the development of sugar estates and the organization of sugarcane out-growers schemes to enhance local production of sugar with a view to ensuring that Nigeria achieves at least 70% self-sufficiency in sugar requirements as soon as possible.

The establishment of NSDC was informed by the realization of the ineffective and un- coordinated planning and control of the sugar sub sector due to absence of a body/agency that could coordinate and monitor sugar development in Nigeria.

This scenario created a demand gap since local sugar production could not catch up with the ever increasing demand. For instance, the demand for sugar, both domestic and industrial, was estimated to have grown from 43,000 tonnes in 1975 to about 700,000 tonnes in 1994 showing an average annual growth rate of 8% whereas local production accounts for only 35,000 tonnes or 5% of demand. The short fall is
imported.

Given the strategic importance of sugar, it became imperative that the nation's precarious dependence on sugar importation be checked particularly since Nigeria has the potential to become a net exporter of sugar if the capacity of the existing sugar plants is enhanced, new plants established and sugarcane out-grower farmers encouraged and supported through provision of credit facilities, procurement of necessary inputs and development of basic infrastructure.

It is the realization of this fact that informed the formulation a National Sugar policy that set a target for Nigeria to achieve at least 70% self sufficiency level in Sugar requirement within the shortest possible time. Consequently, an Implementation
Committee on sugar sub-sector was established.

One of the recommendations of the Committee was the establishment of the Sugar Development Co-ordinating Agency, a body which would be responsible for coordinating all the various activities and forces that impinge on the sugar sub-sector in Nigeria. This eventually led to the establishment the National Sugar Development Council by Decree 88 of 1993.

The decree has since become an Act of the National Assembly and is listed as Act Cap.N78 LFN of 2004. The National Sugar Development Council is a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Trade & Investment and has an autonomous MANAGEMENT headed by the Executive Secretary. The Executive Secretary is assisted by 4 Directors who are the Heads of various Departments.

The Executive Secretary also reports to the Honourable Minister of Trade & Investment through its Governing Council.

Reference: NSDC