Section 3: Functions of the Council. (Amended by Section 3 of the National Sugar Development Council (Amendment) Act, 2015)

The functions of the Council shall be to-(a) to draw policy guidelines and action programmes on sugar development and implement approved policies on the development of the sugar sub-sector including the extant Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP)
(b) provide guidelines on the development of sugar estates and the organisation of the sugar cane out grower scheme to enhance the viability of sugar plants;
(c) to facilitate the availability of fund for sugar out-growers for land preparation and farm inputs in liaison with Federal, State and Local Government institutions and bodies
(d) to collaborate with and support the activities of Sugarcane and Sugar Research Development and Training Institutions and Centers towards the development of improved sugar technologies, sugarcane varieties and capacity development for the industry
(e) to advise on adoption of machinery, monitor and enforce sugar backward integration programmes and other processes for rapid sugar development
(f) to determine and recommend at appropriate intervals, raw and refined sugar import and export quota for operators who have signed on to an auditable Backward Integration Programme (BIP) with timelines with the targets set out in NSMP and
(g) set benchmark and regulate sugar imports and exports based on local sugar production and consumption projection and grant approvals for the establishment of new sugar industries, including refineries
(h) advise, based on improvements in local sugar production, the Government of the Federation on the rate of tariff to be charged on imported sugar; and
(i) consider and advise on any other matter which is aimed at enhancing the objectives of the Council.
(j) request and receive annual base line data and returns from relevant agencies and companies for planning purposes and determine and effect appropriate sanctions for non-compliance with set regulations and standard for the sugar industry.