The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has begun the strategic inspections of sugar projects nationwide, starting with the Lafiagi Sugar Company (LASUCO) in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria.
The inspection is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to fast-track Nigeria’s drive toward self-sufficiency in sugar production.
“These strategic visits are part of Mr. President’s mandate to accelerate Nigeria’s attainment of self-sufficiency in sugar production,” Enoh said during the tour.
At LASUCO, the minister undertook a comprehensive inspection of the company’s integrated sugar complex, including the sugar mill, ethanol plant, power infrastructure, irrigation systems, and more than 700 hectares of existing sugarcane plantations.
The LASUCO project, owned by BUA Group, is designed as a 10,000-tonne-per-day sugar mill with the capacity to produce up to 220,000 metric tonnes of refined sugar annually when fully operational.
Commending the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, Enoh praised his role in driving the Backward Integration Programme (BIP).
“The scale of infrastructure, level of investment, and degree of project advancement observed at LASUCO reflect a tangible commitment to the objectives of the Backward Integration Programme,” the minister said.
He added that President Tinubu had specifically mandated him, in collaboration with the NSDC leadership, to ensure that operators move beyond planning stages.
“Mr. President has directed that operators must move decisively from plans to full production,” Enoh stated.
While acknowledging progress at the Lafiagi facility, the minister stressed that rapid expansion of sugarcane cultivation remains critical to matching factory capacity and achieving full operational readiness.
“Farm expansion is critical, and sugarcane development must be accelerated to meet factory requirements,” he said.
Enoh reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to sustained engagement with credible investors, traditional institutions, and host communities as Nigeria steps up efforts to revitalise the sugar industry.
He noted that the renewed push is aimed at conserving foreign exchange, creating jobs, and deepening industrial value chains within the country.
Olusola Akintonde