FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY STUDY OF BROWN SUGAR MINI-PROCESSING FIRMS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria's sugar industry dates back to the mid-sixties, but is still in its infancy. Attempts at large scale sugar production collapsed in the last 20th and early 21st centuries in the country. Novel technologies at the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Hadeggi gave birth to the cottage level brown sugar processing plant which has been established in several sugar cane growing communities in Nigeria and the present study was set up to study its financial feasibility in four states of Nigeria: Anambra, ligawa, Kaduna and Niger as well as the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja. One hundred and sixty-three (163) sugar cane farmers and seventy (70) sugar traders were selected using random sampling technique, while a purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the five Brown Sugar Mini Processing Firms or Processors. Primary and secondary data were also collected for the study. Analytical tools used were descriptive statistics, undiscounted cash flow measures, discounted cash flow measures and sensitivity analysis test models. The results established that: (l) The average simple rate of return of the brown sugar mini-processing firm was 64%, which was higher than the 25% interest rate prevailing in the capital market. (in). The l'ay-Back Period (LBP) for the investment was three years, (iii) the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 3.2 was obtained at a suitable discount rate of 25%, which was quite greater than 1 (lv), the average Net Present Value (NPV) at interest rate of 25% wis N54,005,492.58 (V): the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) was positive and even greater than 50%, which made the project worthwhile and financially viable and (Ni) the sensitivity analysis test showed that both 10% and 20% either in increase in cost of processing or in decline in prices of output had no negative impact on the project. Every component of the financial analysis investigated in this study indicated that the project was feasible, profitable and viable.