Sunti March 5, 2018.
Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, (FMN Group) market leader in food and agro-allied products in
Nigeria, today announced that its biggest agricultural investment in Nigeria to date – The
Sunti Golden Sugar Estate will be commissioned on the 13th of March 2018 by Muhammadu
Buhari, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Located on the banks of River Niger, in Mokwa, Niger state, the Sunti Golden Sugar Estate is
owned by Sunti Golden Sugar Estates (SGSE) Ltd. a subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria
Plc.
The sugar estate features 17, 000 hectares of irrigable farmland and a Sugar mill that
process 4,500 metric tons of sugarcane per day. At full capacity, the estate is expected to
produce 1 Million tons of Sugarcane which roughly translates into 100,000 metric tons of
sugar yearly.
Enclosed within a 35-kilometer 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. Over N1 billion was invested in the state-of-the-art
irrigation system that will ensure the efficient cultivation of sugar cane, with infrastructure
that includes drain pumps, pump stations, and a power grid.
The estate is the purest representation of the Federal Government’s Nigerian Sugar Master
Plan (NSMP) with an ambitious Backward integration program that intends to set Nigeria
on the path to self-sufficient sugar production. The farm at peak production will provide
direct employment for about 10,000 people yearly, and impact up to 50,000 people
indirectly, including 3,000 small-scale out growers who will be cultivating sugarcane to feed
the mill.
The estate has brought infrastructure benefits to the surrounding community, with 28
communities in total taking advantage of a new 30-kilometer 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 project illustrates the desire to reduce sugar importation, save billions in foreign
exchange, boost local capacity, and reduce unemployment by putting thousands of
Nigerians to work.
The FMN Group’s mantra, “Feeding the Nation, Everyday,” is at the heart of the company’s
strategic decisions on what they produce, how and where factories are set up, the level of
care that is put into products, and how they interact with host communities and the wider
environment.
The commissioning of the Sunti Golden Sugar Estate on March 13th will be the first step
towards a collective dream of agricultural progress for all in Nigeria.
- Ends –
About Flour Mills Nigeria PLC
Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc was incorporated on 29 September 1960 as a private limited
liability company and commenced operations in 1962 with an installed flour milling capacity
of 500 metric tons per day. In 1978, Flour Mills of Nigeria was converted to a public limited
liability company and its shares were subsequently listed on The Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Today, Flour Mills of Nigeria is the largest flour milling company in Nigeria, with an
installed flour milling capacity of approximately 12,000 metric tons per day.
In 2012, Flour Mills of Nigeria commenced the implementation of backward integration
programs through its agro-allied business initiatives, primarily to support its core food
business. The Company has continued to pursue strategic business opportunities, such as
capacity expansion and realignment of its core food business, whilst backwardly integrating
its processes by increasing local content in a substantive and sustainable way, to further
mitigate reliance on imports and exposure to external volatility in the food business.
Flour Mills of Nigeria remains Nigeria’s largest and oldest food and agro-allied company,
with a broad product portfolio and a robust pan-Nigerian distribution network. The
Company’s three major business segments – Food, Agro-allied and Support Services, are
constantly evolving to meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.
More information can be found at www.fmnplc.com
05 Mar 2018
Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC Commissions N50 billion Sunti Golden Sugar Estate in Niger State