The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), has tipped Nasarawa State to lead other sugar producing states in the country.
Executive Secretary of the NSDC, Zack Adedeji, made this known when he paid a courtesy call on Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, at the Government House, on Thursday.
While lauding the sugar production efforts of the Nasarawa State government, particularly the amicable settlement of agricultural land issues, the NSDC executive secretary, tasked Engineer Sule on coordinating activities of sugar producing states, with a view to ensuring the success of the backward integration policy of the Federal Government in the sugar industry.
According to him, the policy, when fully implemented, will help towards tackling problems of insecurity and unemployment, stressing that, the model applied by the Nasarawa State government should be replicated as a means of ensuring amicable settlement of land issues across other similar states.
Responding, Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, identified investments in the sugar industry as key to socio-economic rejuvenation in the country.
Gov. Sule restated his commitment towards making sure that Nasarawa State leads other states in the area of agriculture, particularly in sugar production, adding that, agriculture remains a viable tool for lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
The governor emphasized that, he takes the task before as a national assignment, especially that it’s in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s desire to take one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty.
With the Dangote Sugar Refinery taking up 60, 000 hectares of land in Awe Local Government Area and recently, the Nigeria Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, also acquiring over 20, 000 hectares in Toto Local Government Area, both for the production of sugar, Nasarawa State is poised to lead other states in the production of sugar and for ensuring the success of the backward integration policy of the Federal Government.
