Nigeria: BUA Foods Plc is close to completing what is expected to be Nigeria’s largest integrated sugar production facility, a project seen as a key step in boosting local manufacturing and cutting the country’s reliance on sugar imports, reports Food Business MEA.
Located in Lafiagi, Kwara State, the project is about 80 per cent complete, according to company officials. Being developed through Lafiagi Sugar Company Limited (LASUCO), the facility is designed as a fully integrated complex that will handle sugarcane farming, milling, refining and processing of by-products.
BUA Group Executive Director Kabiru Rabiu said the plant would be the biggest integrated sugar operation in the country once finished. During an inspection visit by senior government officials, he said the facility is planned to crush up to 10,000 tonnes of sugarcane per day.
He said the complex will also generate about 35 megawatts of electricity using bagasse and produce around 20 million litres of industrial ethanol each year. While acknowledging that the project had experienced delays, Rabiu said construction has now picked up speed, with work on the sugarcane plantation and related infrastructure advancing alongside the industrial units.
The LASUCO project covers roughly 20,000 hectares and includes extensive supporting infrastructure. Apart from sugar milling and refining units, the development features an ethanol plant, irrigation facilities, a dedicated power station and an airstrip. Residential housing, healthcare centres and schools are also being built to cater to workers and nearby communities.
Minister of State for Industry John Owan Enoh said the scale of infrastructure already completed at the site reflects the project’s readiness for full operations. He pointed to roads, landing facilities and staff accommodation as signs of progress, adding that steady movement toward completion remains important.
Describing LASUCO as a major investment in Nigeria’s sugar industry, the minister said it represents the largest new sugar project undertaken by a leading private sector player. He stressed that completing the facility would support the country’s broader industrial and agricultural goals.
When fully operational, the Lafiagi plant is expected to produce about 220,000 metric tonnes of refined sugar each year. Its power generation and ethanol output are also expected to support nearby industries and contribute to energy and industrial supply needs.
The project is central to Nigeria’s efforts to save foreign exchange, stabilise sugar availability and generate jobs across farming and manufacturing. BUA Foods said construction will continue at an accelerated pace as it moves toward completion, underlining its long-term focus on domestic sugar production and large-scale manufacturing in Nigeria.
