Nigeria's sugar ambitions remain a long way from the bowl. The country still produces under 5 per cent of the sugar it consumes and imported 1.7 million tonnes of raw sugar in 2025, a 5 per cent rise on the previous year, according to a sector analysis citing United States Department of Agriculture data. Imports are projected to climb further to 2.13 million tonnes in the 2026/27 marketing year.
Almost Entirely Brazilian
The dependence has a single source. Brazil supplies over 97 per cent of Nigeria's raw sugar imports, leaving the country almost wholly reliant on one origin for its primary supply, the analysis noted. Under the Backward Integration Programme, only Dangote Sugar Refinery, BUA Sugar Refinery and Golden Sugar Company are allowed to import raw sugar, while the importation of refined sugar in retail packaging is banned outright.
Capacity Sits Idle
The puzzle is that the refineries could do far more. Dangote and BUA each hold installed refining capacity of 1.5 million tonnes a year and Golden Penny around 750,000 tonnes, a combined total close to double national consumption, yet Dangote and BUA are estimated to run at about 50 per cent of capacity for want of local cane, the analysis found.
A Target on Dangote
Government is pressing the biggest player to close the gap. The Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, has directed Dangote Sugar to reach 600,000 tonnes of annual local output by 2030, noting that Nigeria consumes roughly 1.8 million tonnes a year, according to Vanguard. The Vice President of the Dangote Group, Olakunle Alake, said the company would invest to meet the target, as Food Business MEA reported.
FoodPrices Nigeria tracks verified prices for sugar and other essentials across Lagos markets. Heavy reliance on a single import source leaves sugar costs exposed to global prices, freight and the naira.