DANGOTE SUGAR TO RESUME EXPORT IN 2014

Towards meeting the national sugar master plan, Dangote Sugar Refinery
Plc (DSR) is actively pursuing a backward integration policy with a
target of producing a total of 1.5 million tonnes of sugar per annum
locally from its subsidiaries. The company also plans to resume
exports to selected West African countries in the first quarter of
2014.
These indications emerged from a statement issued by management of the
company in Lagos at the weekend. According to the statement, the
company increased its market share of the Nigerian sugar market in the
nine months ended September 30, 2013.
It said the company plans an additional Investment of N180billion for
four factories in Sokoto and Kebbi States and has 150,000 hectares of
land allocated for the project in Kogi, Kwara, Jigawa, Sokoto, Taraba
and Kebbi.
DSR acquired the moribund 50,000 tonnes per annum capacity Savannah
Sugar Company Limited in Numan, Adamawa State in 2002.The buy-over,
midwifed by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), was the fallout of
the failure of several attempts made by the Federal Government to
reposition the nation's foremost sugar company.
Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), the parent company of DSR, emerged
as the preferred bidder and core investor and after which it embarked
on a turnaround of the acquired company.
As a front line player in the backward integration policy,Savannah
Sugar's projection is to produce 1 million tonnes of white sugar by
2015, cultivating 100,000 hectares in about six states of Sokoto,
Kebbi, Jigawa, Taraba, Kogi and Kwara employing over 50,000 Nigerians.