The Dangote Group has announced a $700 million expansion drive aimed at transforming Nigeria’s sugar industry and reducing the country’s heavy dependence on imports.
The investment, to be executed by Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR), will focus on large-scale land development, new machinery, infrastructure upgrades, workforce training and deeper engagement with farming communities. The programme is expected to strengthen domestic raw sugar production and support future manufacturing growth.
Speaking at the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair, DSR Chief Executive Officer Ravindra Singhvi said the initiative is central to the company’s backward-integration plan, which seeks to build a fully local value chain. He added that the company will also introduce smaller pack sizes—100g, 250g, 500g and 1kg—to increase affordability for households and micro-businesses.
Also addressing participants, the Group Executive Director for Commercial Operations, Fatima Aliko-Dangote, said Dangote’s broader ambition is to deepen Nigeria’s industrial capacity and ensure that more value is created locally rather than through imports. She noted that expanding industrial operations is one of the most reliable routes to job creation and economic resilience.
Fatima, represented at the event by Dangote Cement’s Sales and Marketing Director Funmi Sanni, linked the sugar expansion to the group’s ongoing milestones in refining, fertiliser production and petrochemicals.
Dangote Sugar Refinery remains the largest sugar producer in Nigeria, with an installed capacity of 1.44 million metric tonnes.
Latest financial figures show the company posted N626.24 billion in revenue between January and September 2025, up from N484.42 billion in the same period of 2024. Losses also fell sharply—from N184.4 billion last year to N10.59 billion.
The expansion, once fully rolled out, is expected to significantly improve supply, stabilise prices and push Nigeria closer to its long-standing goal of achieving sugar self-sufficiency.
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