BUA Foods Plc has restated its determination to support Nigeria’s quest for sugar self-sufficiency by fast-tracking the development of its Lafiagi Sugar Company (LASUCO) Limited located in Kwara State. In line with this objective, the company recently received the Minister of State for Industry, Dr. John Enoh, along with a delegation from the Nigerian Sugar Development Council (NSDC), who visited the site to inspect ongoing work and evaluate the level of progress achieved so far.
LASUCO, which is currently about 80 per cent completed, is being developed as a fully integrated sugar production complex with the capacity to crush 10,000 tons of sugarcane daily and produce up to 220,000 metric tons of refined sugar annually. Beyond sugar refining, the facility is also structured to generate 35 megawatts of electricity from bagasse and produce approximately 20 million litres of industrial ethanol each year. The project underscores BUA Foods’ broader commitment to industrial expansion, agricultural value-chain development, and economic transformation in line with the Federal Government’s backward integration policy and sugar self-sufficiency programme.
During the facility tour, Dr. Enoh commended the level of infrastructure development recorded at LASUCO, pointing to upgraded access roads and improved community facilities as notable achievements. He stressed the need to maintain steady progress toward completion, stating, “LASUCO stands as the largest greenfield sugar factory among the major industry players, with a processing capacity of 10,000 tons per day, and it is critical that the project is fully delivered.”
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Prior to the inspection of the plant, the BUA delegation—led by Group Executive Director Alhaji Kabiru Rabiu and Managing Director of BUA Foods, Engr. Ayodele Abioye—paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Lafiagi, His Royal Highness Alhaji Mohammed Kawu. Speaking during the visit, Alhaji Kabiru Rabiu emphasized the magnitude of the project, noting, “What is being developed here will be the largest sugar mill, plantation, and refinery in Nigeria. Although there have been some setbacks, we are accelerating progress and remain firmly committed to achieving our plantation expansion and production targets.”
The Emir of Lafiagi expressed his full backing for the LASUCO project, recognizing its potential to deliver significant social and economic benefits to the host community. Similarly, Kamar Bakrin, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Sugar Development Council, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to working closely with BUA Foods to ensure the project is completed on schedule and contributes to long-term growth of the sugar sector. He remarked, “No other investor has committed resources to sugar factory development in the manner BUA Foods has demonstrated.”
BUA Foods further confirmed that construction activities at the LASUCO facility will continue with renewed speed and intensity, reiterating its long-term pledge to strengthening Nigeria’s sugar industry, promoting agricultural development, and contributing meaningfully to national economic revitalization.
