Dangote commits over $700m to sugar expansion as Nigeria pushes for self-sufficiency
Story by Martha Gwary
The Dangote Group has announced plans to invest more than $700 million in an extensive sugar expansion programme intended to significantly scale up domestic production and reduce Nigeria’s longstanding reliance on imported sugar.
Dangote Sugar Refinery, a major subsidiary of the conglomerate, will channel the investment into land development, modern processing equipment, infrastructure upgrades, workforce training and community engagement. The initiative aims to build a fully integrated local supply chain capable of producing sufficient raw sugar to satisfy national demand while supporting future manufacturing growth.
Speaking at the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ravindra Singhvi, said the expansion aligns with Dangote’s broader backward-integration strategy. He added that the refinery will introduce sugar packs in 100g, 250g, 500g and 1kg formats to increase accessibility for households, retailers and small businesses.
Also addressing participants, Fatima Aliko-Dangote, Group Executive Director for Commercial Operations, noted that the overarching objective remains the same: to strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base and retain more of the value chain within the country. She stressed that sustained industrial development offers one of the most effective pathways to job creation and enhanced opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises that depend on local manufacturers.
Represented at the event by Funmi Sanni, Sales and Marketing Director at Dangote Cement, she linked the sugar project to the group’s ongoing investments in refining, fertiliser production and petrochemicals—all aimed at deepening Nigeria’s industrial capacity.
Dangote Sugar Refinery remains the nation’s largest sugar producer, boasting an installed capacity of 1.44 million metric tonnes. In the first nine months of its 2025 financial year, the company’s revenue rose to N626.24 billion, compared with N484.42 billion in the corresponding period of 2024.
The firm also recorded a significant improvement in profitability, with losses narrowing sharply from N184.4 billion in the first nine months of 2024 to N10.59 billion in the same period of 2025.
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