Dangote Sugar Warns Staff Over Chewing Sugarcane, Threatens Arrest

Dangote Sugar Warns Staff Over Chewing Sugarcane, Threatens Arrest

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has issued a stern and final warning to employees at its Numan operations in Numan, banning the chewing of company sugarcane within its premises and threatening severe disciplinary actions, including arrest and prosecution, for defaulters.

The directive, contained in an internal memo dated April 7, 2026, and signed by the Head of Human Resources, Ikechukwu Okorie, categorised the act as “gross misconduct”. The company stressed that any staff caught engaging in the practice risks summary disciplinary measures, which may extend to legal consequences.

According to the memo, the sugarcane cultivated and processed at the facility is a valuable company asset, and unauthorised consumption amounts to misuse of resources. Management noted that beyond the economic implications, the habit of chewing cane and discarding chaff indiscriminately undermines hygiene and sanitation standards required in a food processing environment.

The circular further emphasised that maintaining strict housekeeping is critical to operations at the Numan plant, warning that littering the premises with cane residue violates established workplace standards. As part of enforcement, security personnel have been placed on high alert and directed to apprehend any employee found violating the directive, with offenders facing both internal disciplinary action and possible prosecution aimed at recovering losses.

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The strongly worded memo ended with a clear warning — “BE WARNED FOR THE LAST TIME!!!” — underscoring the company’s zero-tolerance stance on the issue.

The development comes amid ongoing expansion efforts by Dangote Sugar, particularly under its backward integration programme designed to boost local sugar production. The company is scaling up operations through large-scale cultivation and processing projects across multiple states.

As part of its broader financial strategy, Dangote Sugar recently announced a proposed ₦500 billion rights issue to reduce debt, strengthen its balance sheet, and fund expansion projects. These include upgrades at its Numan facility and new developments in Nasarawa State and Taraba State.

Since the memo surfaced online, it has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting the company’s strict stance on discipline and hygiene, while others consider the threat of arrest excessive for what appears to be a minor infraction. As of the time of filing this report, the company has not released an official public statement addressing the leaked circular.

Dangote Sugar Warns Staff Over Chewing Sugarcane, Threatens Arrest