Nigeria’s Annual Sugar Production, Importation & Consumption

Year	Consumption (Tons)	Production (Tons)	Importation (Tons)	Average Unit Price ($)/MT	Importation Cost ($)	Per Capita Consumption (Kg-Raw value)
1990	645,248	41,478	603,770	440	265,658,800	n/a
1991	773,463	44,893	728,570	290	211,285,300	n/a
1992	598,986	32,420	566,566	280	158,638,480	n/a
1993	405,590	28,576	377,014	300	113,104,200	5.9
1994	360,060	22,814	337,246	340	114,663,640	5.5
1995	358,038	20,000	338,038	410	138,595,580	4.5
1996	525,985	12,104	513,882	370	190,136,340	5.2
1997	552,573	15,805	535,768	320	171,445,760	5.5
1998	773,264	9,850	763,414	310	236,658,340	7.4
1999	781,782	10,000	771,782	240	185,227,680	6
2000	771,890	36,000	735,890	270	198,690,300	6.6
2001	1,209,480	0	1,209,480	260	314,464,800	8.2
2002	1,009,165	0	1,009,165	260	262,282,900	10.8
2003	988,441	0	988,441	260	256,994,660	8.3
2004	865,000	0	865,000	265	229,225,000	9.1
2005	1,301,494	0	1,301,494	216	281,116,777	9.2
2006	1,176,698	50,000	1,126,698	175	197,172,150	9
2007	1,258,996	55,000	1,203,996	260	313,038,960	9.3
2008	1,393,668	35,000	1,358,668	241	327,438,988	11.2
2009	1,220,080	39,000	1,220,041	324	395,293,284	8.7
2010	985,675	30,000	955,675	505	482,615,875	7.1
2011	1,109,410	5,000	1,104,410	595	657,123,950	7.6
2012	1,104,980	6,843	1,098,137	471	517,222,527	6.6
2013	1,379,349	5,011	1,374,338	377.65	518,950,028.80	8.1
2014	1,445,816	12,345	1,433,471	441.39	632,719,764.69	8.6
2015	1,498,212	13,488	1,484,724	372.15	552,540,036.60	8.7
2016	1,584,724	25,000	1,559,573	330.96	516,156,280.08	9.1
2017	1,306,913	20,184	1,286,729	357	459,362,253.00	7.6
2018	1,231,028	14,918	1,216,110	277.37	337,312,430.70	6.8
2019	1,401,891	38,597	1,363,294	280.42	382,294,903.48	7.6
2020	1,531,471	N/A	1,531,471	283	433,406,293.00	7.7
2021	1,603,831	35,665	1,568,166	405	635,107,230.00	7.8
2022	1,721,128	46,479	1,675,649	541	906,526,109.00	8.4
2023	1,442,097	30,053	1,412,044	657	927,712,908.00	7.1
2024*

NB: 2024* ; Compilation of 2024 data is on-going.

Consumption is taken as simple addition of yearly production and importation, although there are ending stocks that are not captured

Market Data

Nigeria’s sugar market presents a compelling investment case based on strong local demand, limited domestic supply, and supportive policy environment.

1.8 million MT

Annual sugar consumption in Nigeria

+3.5% CAGR

35,000 MT

Avg annual sugar
production

< 3% of consumption

$2 billion

Nigerian
Market size

Sugar only

$7 billion

African
Market size

Sugar only

Beyond Sugar

Sugarcane processing yields much more than sugar.

Expanded By-Product Market is worth

These opportunities in high-value by-products and derivatives include biofuels, polymers, bio-plastics, animal feeds and electricity

Ready to Explore
Investment Opportunities?

Contact the Nigeria Sugar Development Council to discuss how you can participate in the transformation of Nigeria’s sugar industry.

NSDC Mobilises $1 Billion Investment Pipeline, Tightens Enforcement as Nigeria Accelerates Drive for Sugar Self-Sufficiency

August 15, 2026 No Comments

“We have been blessed with a crop that is one of the most generous God has ever made. From sugarcane you can get sugar, you can get ethanol, you can get animal feed, you can produce power. Our job is to build a bio-industrial ecosystem around it — this is not just about producing a commodity,” he said.

“Compete or Concede the Market”: Bakrin Tables Four Resolutions to Cut Nigeria’s Cost of Production

July 27, 2026 No Comments

ENUGU — Nigeria must now choose between competing for the African market and conceding it to others, the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr Kamar Bakrin, told the technical session of the 17th National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI), presenting what he described as the arithmetic of a factory floor that has been priced out of contention — and four resolutions to reprice it.

PHOTO NEWS: NSDC Concludes Cohort Two of Basic Sugarcane Agronomy Training

July 23, 2026 No Comments

Explore highlights from the second cohort of the Residential Training Programme on Basic Sugarcane Agronomy and Variety Selection at the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), Ilorin.

PHOTO NEWS: NSDC Concludes First Cohort of Basic Sugarcane Technology Training

July 21, 2026 No Comments

Explore highlights from the inaugural Residential Training Programme on Basic Sugarcane Technology and Variety Selection at the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), Ilorin.

From Fields to Factories: NSDC Launches Elite Training Cohorts to Drive Nigeria’s Sugar Revolution

July 8, 2026 No Comments

The strategic blueprint for Nigeria’s industrial transformation has officially shifted from policy to aggressive execution. Grounded in the rigorous strategic framework of the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) 2.0, the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has successfully concluded the pioneer cohort of its landmark residential training program.

How sugar can address Nigeria’s unemployment rate, security challenges – NSDC boss

June 4, 2026 No Comments

“If Nigeria succeeds in developing a proper sugar sector, one of the things we would do is convert an annual outflow of over one billion dollars into jobs, security, and industrialisation.