FG Tasks Flour Mills To Hit 300,000-Tonne Sugar Output By 2030

The federal government has tasked Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc to scale up sugar production to 300,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030, as part of efforts to boost local output and reduce import dependence.

The minister of state for industry, John Owan Enoh, gave the directive during a visit to the Golden Sugar Company (GSC) complex in Sunti, Niger State.

Enoh, who was accompanied by the executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, said the expansion of the company’s production capacity was critical to achieving the country’s sugar self-sufficiency targets.

The visit was the third in the series of strategic inspection of sugar projects across the country in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to concerned officials for the acceleration of Nigeria’s attainment of self-sufficiency in sugar production.

The minister and the NSDC boss visited the Lafiagi Sugar Company (LASUCO) owned by BUA Foods in Lafiagi, Kwara State, on Monday, December 15, 2025. The duo were at the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) Complex on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

In Sunti, the minister noted that Nigeria’s current local sugar production falls far short of the 1.8 million metric tonnes consumed annually, adding that GSC must contribute 300,000 metric tonnes by 2030.

He expressed satisfaction with the level of activities at the complex, noting that it represents significant value addition.

“It is a reflection of the implementation of the government’s Backward Integration Programme (BIP). It also demonstrates that there is a business going on; there is an industry with all the elements that you can think about.

“People are gainfully employed. At its peak, I understand this facility has about 4,500 workers. So, government’s requirement for gainful employment is itself achieved here.

“I have never stopped getting amazed at what production can be. From the farm, you get to the factory and find sugar produced.

“This itself begins to demonstrate the ability of the country, of these business people, and of the industry to achieve set targets.

“While we can praise this to be an implementation of the BIP, it still falls quite short in terms of what expectations are of that policy.

But I am glad that there is an ambition that by 2030 the annual output is going to increase to 300,000 metric tonnes,” the minister said.

He reaffirmed government’s commitment to industrialisation and continued support for industrialists, including fiscal incentives and funding efforts.

“We are not there yet, but there is commitment; there is push, and the government itself is serious about industrialisation,” he noted.

Also speaking, the NSDC boss acknowledged the significant strides the GSC has made in recent times, but added that the journey is still far ahead and a lot has to be done to meet set targets.

“Without a doubt, we consistently acknowledge the very impressive strides that they make. We appreciate the commitment, the creativity they bring to developing projects.

“At the same time, we are relentless in pointing out numerous opportunities for improvement because we have a very significant journey ahead of us. It’s not going to be achieved by us passing the buck constantly, but by holding each other accountable for delivering results. Not just delivering results, but delivering results in a cost effective and timely manner.

“The commitment of government to this is beyond question. The support that government has provided and will continue to provide is beyond question and the requirement for accountability is going to remain the same. At the Sugar Council, we have a very senior team that is dedicated to supporting the Golden Sugar Company,” he said.

The group chief executive officer of GSC, Mr Boye Olusanya, said the company currently cultivates about 6,600 hectares, producing roughly 20,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually, with plans to increase output to 290,000 metric tonnes by 2030.

While the delegation undertook a farm and factory tour of the facility, the highlight of the visit was the commissioning of the Sugar Training School built by the GSC and located with the complex.