Flour Mills targets 10,000 jobs annually with new sugar estate

The Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc says Sunti Golden sugar estate, its mill in Mokwa, Niger state, will be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 15.

In a statement on Thursday, Tola Samuel, media officer of the company, said the estate, at peak production, would provide employment for about 10,000 people yearly.

The statement said the farm would impact 50,000 people indirectly, including 3,000 small scale out growers who would be cultivating sugarcane to feed the mill.

“At full capacity, the estate is expected to produce one million tons of sugarcane which roughly translates into 100,000 metric tons of sugar yearly,” it read.

“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 company said that the establishment of the project would reduce sugar importation into the country.

“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,” it read.