The Inter-ministerial National Sugar Roadmap Implementation Committee (SURMIC) of the Federal Government has commended the management of BUA Group for its recent investments in its Lafiagi Sugar Company and encouraged the company to sustain the pace of ongoing work at the plantation.

This was revealed when the SURMIC paid a monitoring visit to the Lafiagi plantation.

The SURMIC visit, which had Directors of Technical and Planning at the National Sugar Development Council, the Manufacturer’s Association of Nigeria, the Ministry of Agriculture, The Ministry of Power as well as other high-level stakeholders in the sugar industry took a tour of BUA Group’s Lafiagi Sugar Plantation as well as an inspection of equipment.

They also monitored ongoing work in the factory to ensure compliance with the government’s backward implementation policy.

Speaking during the visit, Director Technical at the Sugar Council, Mr. Jika, commended the pace of work at the Lafiagi Sugar Company as well as the investments in infrastructure on ground.

“We are satisfied with what we have seen on ground. Whilst the ongoing work is commendable, we expect BUA to sustain the current pace of work at Lafiagi into the future so that Nigerians can start to benefit fully from the backward implementation policy of the Federal Government.”

In his response, Isiaku Samuel, a General Manager at Lafiagi Sugar Company, said that despite the challenges being faced in taking full ownership of the site after BUA purchased the company through a privatization exercise, BUA has gone ahead to mobilise manpower and equipment to kickstart the once-moribund facility in addition to acquiring an additional 50,000 hectares in Bassa Local Government of Kogi State for sugarcane farming.

His words: “We are happy with this visit by the National Sugar Roadmap Implementation Committee (SURMIC) to verify ongoing work at our facility. While we have made considerable efforts in developing a sugarcane nursery and land development activities for the next planting season, we have also deployed additional manpower and equipment to fast-track the development of the plantation. We have also ensured that the Sugar Council and other relevant stakeholders have been carried along in this process.”

In another related development, the Emir of Lafiagi, Alh. Sa’adu Kawu Haliru has commended the manangement of BUA Group for its sincere efforts in ensuring the resuscitation of the Lafiagi Sugar Company.

The Emir stated this during the occasion of his 40th anniversary on the throne where he also conferred a traditional title of “Zannan Lafiagi” on the Executive Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu.

Established in 1988 by billionaire industrialist, Abdulsamad Rabiu, BUA Group has grown to become one of Nigeria’s largest industrial conglomerates with significant investments in Foods & Infrastructure ranging from Sugar, flour, rice, cement, steel and real estate to port operations.

Lafiagi Sugar Company is a subsidiary of the BUA Group and was acquired by the Group through a successful privatization exercise of the Federal Government.