Senator John Owan Enoh, Nigeria's Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, has thrown his weight behind Flour Mills of Nigeria's (FMN) Sunti Golden Sugar Estate, describing it as a functional template for the country's sugar self-sufficiency ambitions.
The minister conducted a facilities tour at the estate in Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State, on Tuesday, part of a broader federal drive to advance agricultural industrialisation under the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) and its Backward Integration Programme.
FMN's Golden Sugar Company at Sunti has participated in the NSMP since 2012, positioning the estate among the most substantial private-sector investments in Nigeria's sugar value chain. The company has committed to backward integration as a means of curtailing reliance on imported sugar while expanding domestic processing capacity.
Enoh said the estate illustrates the outcomes possible when policy direction aligns with private capital deployment. "Going round the facility, you can see clearly that this is a functioning industry with all the key elements in place; employment, production, and value creation," he stated.
The minister noted that the estate sustains up to 4,500 workers at peak operational periods, directly serving government priorities around job creation, rural development, and economic diversification. He stressed that expanding sugarcane cultivation remains pivotal to reaching national self-sufficiency.
"We will continue with constant monitoring to ensure that the objectives of the Backward Integration Programme are achieved. While progress has been made, we are not yet at full sufficiency as a nation. The key challenge remains expanding the land under sugarcane cultivation," Enoh explained. He pointed to commitments from operators to scale cultivation, which would in turn maximise processing output and draw Nigeria nearer to satisfying its sugar demand domestically.
On social impact, the minister highlighted interventions across 28 host communities, covering road infrastructure, schools, water supply, healthcare services, and rural electrification. These initiatives, he said, demonstrate how the NSMP framework attracts investment and strengthens domestic production capacity.
FMN Group Chief Executive Officer Boye Olusanya affirmed the company's commitment to Nigeria's sugar self-sufficiency agenda. "Sunti Golden Sugar Estate is a testament to FMN's unyielding commitment to sustainably feeding and enriching the lives of millions of Nigerians every day," he said, adding that FMN would continue deepening public-private partnerships to strengthen food systems and reduce import dependence.
Kamara Bakrin, Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), accompanied the minister. The visit also included the inauguration of a training centre at the estate, intended to build technical capacity and improve skills among host community members. Anlo Du Pisani, Managing Director of GSC-Sunti, hosted the delegation alongside senior FMN executives and community leaders from Mokwa.
The Sunti estate's performance aligns with broader national targets. The Federal Government has tasked Dangote Sugar Refinery to reach 600,000 metric tonnes as part of the NSMP's production milestones, underscoring the scale of domestic capacity expansion now being pursued across the sector.