NSDC-backed Oyo sugar factory enters test-running stage

Oyo Sugar and Derivatives Industries Limited factory

The National Sugar Development Council has said the Oyo Sugar and Derivatives Industries Limited factory in Iseyin, Oyo State, has reached the commissioning and test-running stage after more than a decade of financial, technical and institutional support from the council.

 The 300-tonnes-per-day greenfield sugar mill was developed under the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan and is one of the new-build sugar factories to emerge from the plan’s Backward Integration Programme.

 In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Executive Secretary/CEO, National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin, the council said the project had progressed from a cooperative farming venture involving communities in Iseyin to an operational factory.

 The council funded the procurement of the factory’s core 300 TCD sugar mill at a cost of approximately N1.64bn. As development progressed, it provided additional funding for cane development and operational support, bringing its total financial commitment to approximately N2.2bn.

 The Oyo State Government contributed an estimated N850m in equity funding towards the completion of outstanding works.

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 Kamar Bakrin said the factory’s readiness for commissioning was the result of sustained commitment from the council, the Oyo State Government and the promoters.

 “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.

 “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.”

Arinze Nwafor is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with five years of experience reporting on Nigeria’s economy, industry, data, metro, and judiciary. He focuses on highlighting growth, policy, and market challenges shaping Africa’s largest economy. Arinze’s reporting reflects practical newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a strong commitment to accurate, informative, and audience-focused journalism.

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