NSDC thumbs up Oyo sugar factory commissioning, test-running stage

The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has commended Oyo Sugar and Derivatives Industries Limited (OSDL) on the commissioning and test-running of its 300-tonnes-per-day (TCD) sugar factory in Iseyin, Oyo state.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NSDC, Kamar Bakrin, in a statement on Thursday said the milestone marked the culmination of more than a decade of financial, technical and institutional support from the council under the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

Barkin said the Iseyin-based factory was one of the few greenfield sugar mills developed under the NSMP’s Backward Integration Programme.

He said the project transitioned from a cooperative farming initiative into an operational industrial facility.

The executive secretary commended the promoters of OSDL and the farming communities in Iseyin for their sustained commitment to the project and their role in bringing the factory to operational readiness.

According to the him, it finance the procurement of the factory’s core 300 TCD sugar mill at a cost of approximately ₦1.64 billion.

He explained that as development progressed, the council would fund the sugarcane development and operational support, bringing its total financial commitment to approximately ₦2.2 billion.

“The Oyo State Government also contributed an estimated ₦850 million in equity funding towards the completion of outstanding works at the factory.

“The factory is ready for commissioning as the outcome of sustained collaboration among the council, the Oyo State Government, the project promoters and local farming communities.

“That this factory now stands ready for commissioning is the result of sustained commitment by the council, by the Oyo State Government and by the promoters themselves,” he said.

He said the council would continue to support beyond the commissioning stage as OSDL transitions into full-scale commercial production.

“Our work does not end here. The NSDC will remain engaged as OSDL moves into full-scale commercial production, and we expect this project to serve as proof that Nigeria’s sugar sector can be built on locally grown cane,” he said.

He said the development of the Iseyin factory demonstrates the potential of Nigeria’s sugar industry to expand domestic production through locally cultivated sugarcane.

Barkin said it would also strengthened the participation of farming communities in the country’s sugar value chain.