A new sugar sensitization ad by the National Sugar Development Council of Nigeria (NSDC) promotes Nigerian-made sugar brands and informs the general public that foreign brands like the iconic St Louis Sugar are banned.

While I applaud the organization’s effort to grow our local sugar brands, we can’t hide the fact that the popular St Louis Sugar will be missed. Not just because of its product quality but because of its iconic brand. St Louis Sugar is insanely popular; it has built trust and emotional connections with consumers in the Nigerian market for over 50 years. And apparently, it did that without ads!

The fact that it didn’t do ads became an ad for St Louis sugar as it continues to be a topic of discussion in Nigeria, thereby increasing its popularity and demand. It is probably the reason why, even though it has been banned since 2013, the product is still being smuggled into the country and graces the shelves of major stores. This seems to have been frustrating for local sugar producers, which is why the NSDC has taken steps to produce a new video ad that educates the general public on why St Louis and other foreign sugars should be shunned and local sugar brands embraced.

Which local sugar brand do you think has the potential to dominate the Nigerian market as St Louis Sugar?