CBN restricts sugar importation to Dangote, BUA, Flour Mills of Nigeria

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sugar IMPORTATION-sugar-brandspurng-dangote sugar

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has restricted the sugar importation into the country to three companies: BUA Sugar Refinery Ltd, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, and Golden Sugar Company, owned by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, and BUA Sugar Refinery Limited.

The CBN in a circular titled: Sugar Importation in Nigeria,” signed by the Director, Trade and Exchange Department, CBN, Dr. Ozoemena Nnaji, hinged its reason for selecting the aforementioned sugar manufacturers on the fact that they had made reasonable progress in achieving backward integration in the sector.

sugar IMPORTATION-sugar-brandspurng-dangote sugar

“The Federal Government of Nigeria under the National Sugar Development Council established the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan to encourage and incentive sugar refining companies in their Backward Integration Programme (BIP) for local sugar production.

“Accordingly, the underlisted three companies, who have made reasonable progress in achieving backward integration in the sector, shall only be allowed to import sugar into the country,”.

Recall that in April, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, stated that the bank planned to include sugar and wheat on the list of import items banned from accessing foreign exchange.

He had said, “We are looking at sugar and wheat. We started a programme on milk about two years ago. Eventually, these products will go into our FX restriction list.”

Nigeria currently spends between $600m to $1bn on sugar importation annually.