President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) Plc for its N50 billion investment in the Sunti Golden Sugar Estate in Mokwa, Niger State, saying the capital outlay by the miller was a clear manifestation that the government’s policy on diversification was attracting the right kind of support and engagement.
Buhari, who spoke yesterday at the commissioning of the sugar estate set to create at least 10,000 direct jobs, 50,000 indirect jobs and 3,000 out-grower farmers that would be engaged all the year round cultivating sugarcane, said the N50 billion invested by FMN in the sugar production facility, makes it one of the largest agro-allied investments in Nigeria today.
Buhari said at the commissioning, which attracted dignitaries from the public and the organised private sector, that the coming on stream of the sugar factory was also timely because it had come at a time “Nigeria has made her way out of recession and we have shown considerable progress”.
“The mill as I was told cost the company N50 billion and it is expected to produce 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar yearly. It will provide direct employment for about 10,000 people yearly and impact on up to 50,000 people indirectly, including 3,000 small-scale out-growers,” he said while commending the company for creating job opportunities for Nigerians.
The president stated that the socio-economic impact of the company’s investment could not be quantified as lives would be changed and the impact on the national economy would also be significant.
He stated that sugar had been identified as a key commodity that is critical to national food security, adding that “the sugar factory would help stem the tide of importation of sugar, save foreign exchange and create wealth amidst rural poverty.
“Flour Mills of Nigeria has shown commitment to Nigeria all through the good times and bad times,” he stated.
Buhari called on other private sector operators in the country to partner with the government in creating investment opportunities that would further stabilise the economy and provide jobs for the youths, assuring them that his administration would continue to create the enabling business environment and will improve security and infrastructure across the nation.
According to him “We are looking inwards to our natural endowments and mineral deposits. We are focusing on agriculture and other non-oil sectors.”
He also harped on the benefits and economic potential of the River Niger that borders the sugar estate, saying: “It has been long overlooked, it is time we explore and harness the benefits for commerce and investment.”
The president noted that projects like the Sunti Sugar Estate were in tandem with the vision and objectives that the administration set out to achieve when it instituted the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
“While our focus is steadfast on delivering on our policy goals of tackling corruption, improving security and rebuilding the economy; more than ever, the government will work in close partnership with businesses to strengthen investments in agriculture, power, manufacturing, solid minerals and the service sectors,” Buhari said.
Buhari reassured Nigerians that the administration was committed to the transformation and diversification of the economy, adding that the government would continue to support businesses and investors by creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.
The Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, in his address, said the people of his state were proud farmers, noting that the sugar estate would utilise the farmers and make them productive.
Bello said 2018 had been earmarked as the year of “agricultural revolution” in the state and called on investors to invest in the state which “is a perfect model for investment”.
Bello said the Sunti Sugar Estate, which is one of the two sugar mills in the country, will produce 4,500 metric tonnes of sugar per day.
The governor, however, appealed to the president on the speedy completion of the Suleja-Minna, Tegina-Kontagora and Mokwa-Jebba roads in order to attract more investors to the state.
The Chairman of FMN, Mr. John Coumantaros, said the factory would ensure that local sugar is produced in Niger State and also set the country on the path to becoming self-sufficient in sugar production.
According to him, “The sugar estate would feature 17,000 hectares of irrigable farmland and a sugar mill that processes 4,500 metric tonnes of sugarcane per day.
“At full capacity, the estate is expected to produce 1 million tonnes of sugar cane which roughly translates into 100,000 metric tons of sugar yearly.”
Coumantaros pointed out that the establishment of the project would reduce sugar importation into the country and save the country foreign exchange.
“It will also boost local capacity and reduce unemployment by putting thousands of Nigerians to work,” he added
Prominent among the dignitaries that attended the commissioning were the Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah, Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Rasheed Adejare Olaoluwa, and traditional rulers from Niger and Kwara States.
With the commissioning of the Sunti Golden Sugar Estate, the Nigerian National Sugar Master Plan got a major boost, as the plan had set out a backward integration framework to encourage sugar production in the country.
Located on the banks of the River Niger in Mokwa, Niger State, the sugar estate is owned by Sunti Golden Sugar Estates (SGSE) Ltd., a subsidiary of FMN.
Enclosed within a 35-kilometre dyke, the production facility area is 15,100 hectares, with a cane area that features a maximum output of 10,000 hectares.
The dyke provides flood protection from the River Niger with the state-of-the-art irrigation system that will ensure the efficient cultivation of sugar cane.
Some of the infrastructures on the estate include drain pumps, pump stations and a power grid.
According to a statement by FMN yesterday, the estate is the purest representation of the federal government’s Nigerian Sugar Master Plan with an ambitious backward integration programme that intends to set Nigeria on the path to self-sufficiency in sugar production.
The statement said the estate will bring infrastructure benefits to the surrounding communities, with 28 communities in total taking advantage of a new 30-kilometre road, plus expansive road networks that provide a variety of access routes to the homes of the indigenes.
“Drains, culverts, and flood-protection walls have also been constructed,” the company added.
Source: Thisday
