Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) showcased its commitment to domestic sugar production and agricultural industrialization following an official ministerial visit to the Sunti Golden Sugar Estate. The visit by Sen. John Owan Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, underscores the Federal Government’s determination to accelerate agricultural industrialization and curtail Nigeria’s reliance on imported sugar.
FMN’s participation in the National Sugar Master Plan and Backward Integration Plan began in 2012 through its subsidiary, Golden Sugar Company, situated in Sunti Golden Sugar Estate, Niger State. The estate spans 21,500 hectares, with approximately 3,700 hectares currently under cultivation.
The Golden Sugar Company, commissioned in 2016, operates with a current production capacity of 600,000 tons of sugarcane per season, expandable to 1,000,000 tons annually. At peak operational periods, the estate provides employment for up to 4,500 workers, supporting the government’s employment creation agenda.
During the tour, the Minister emphasized government commitment to strengthening the sugar value chain through sustained oversight and expanded cultivation. “This facility demonstrates that large-scale, private-sector driven agricultural industrialization is achievable and scalable in Nigeria,” the Minister stated.
The Sunti Golden Sugar Estate has delivered transformative socio-economic impact across 28 host communities, including road infrastructure development, water supply systems, educational facilities, health services, employment opportunities, and rural electrification initiatives.
Boye Olusanya, Group Chief Executive Officer of FMN, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to deepening its Backward Integration Programme and supporting the Federal Government’s sugar self-sufficiency objectives. FMN, incorporated in 1960, has sustained operations across grains, sugar, cassava starch, feeds and protein, and edible oils and fats value chains for over six decades.
The ministerial engagement concluded with the launch of a state-of-the-art training center at the estate, designed to upskill stakeholders and ensure operations align with global standards and best practices. The visit reinforced collaborative efforts between government and industry to scale sugar production and reduce the country’s import burden.
