NIGERIA: Dangote aiming for 150,000 tonnes at Savannah
Published: 07/18/2012, 2:25:39 PM
Dangote Group of Companies (DGC) has embarked on expansion scheme of the production facility at its Savannah Sugar Company located in Numan in Adamawa State, to raise output to 150, 000 metric tonnes of sugar a year, according to Nigeria's Guardian newspaper.
The Managing Director of the sugar company, Ta'zaih A. Toldi, told The Guardian in an exclusive chat yesterday in his office that the new expansion scheme was engineered by the company's policy to ensure self-sufficiency of the commodity in the country.
Toldi explained that many sugar companies in the country were closed down by the operators due to the capital intensive nature of the business and dearth of adequate facilities from the financial institutions.
He assured that "the industrial revolution Dangote brought in the cement industry, which has cut down the price of the commodity will soon be extended to the sugar industry."
He stated that the aim was not only to make profit, but ensure that Nigerians get sugar at affordable price and government also save foreign exchange which could have been otherwise expended on importation.
"The first and main target of Dangote is to satisfy human needs, profit is secondary, as he has reached a level in business that profit is no longer his first target, but to make people happy first and to also complement government efforts to reduce the high rate of unemployment among youths in the country.
"Dangote has the zeal to make Savannah Sugar Company great. His aim is to ensure that sugar is produced in Nigeria and not imported," he stated.
He assured that contrary to speculation in certain quarters, the company is not relocating outside the state, but rather, more machines were been installed preparatory for the expansion programme.
Toldi said that the company was re-opened in February this year and production was resumed in March but was suspended in June as a result of the heavy raining season in the state, which he said, could not allow heavy-duty machines into the farm.
The Managing Director expressed confidence that the management of the company has good intentions to develop programmes that can benefit the host community and the entire North-Eastern states.