By Wole Mosadomi

Minna—The nation’s drive towards self sufficiency in Sugar production will soon receive a boost as Dangote conglomerate  plans to establish a $450 million Sugar refinery plant in Niger State.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote

The Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery Company, Engineer Abdullahi Sule disclosed this weekend in Minna, the Niger State, after a brief meeting with the Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello in his office.

Sule, who led a team of experts from Dangote group to the meeting with the state government, said the meeting was to brief the governor on the progress made on the proposed Sugar and Rice schemes to be sited in the state by the group.

According to Sule, the sites for both the Sugar cane plantation and the refinery had been identified, while the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between Niger State government in one hand, and the community hosting the schemes and the group was being perfected.

He said: “For the Sugar, we have identified the site and carried out feasibility study of the site; we have equally had the survey of the site, soil test of the site and done the demarcation of the land to enable us plant different crops. The group will be investing 450 million US Dollars on Sugar alone and this is explicitly stated in the MOU,”

On the proposal for Rice production, Sule said work was already in progress, adding that the group was prepared for the scheme as soon as due diligence and necessary formalities are completed.

Speaking, Governor Bello directed the Ministries of Agriculture, Lands and Justice to perfect the smooth take-off of the Sugar refinery project without any further delay.