By Chinyere Anyanwu
In a bid to strengthen its drive for local content and reaffirm its commitment to the backward integration strategy of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN) has announced the launch of Sunti brown sugar.
Sunti brown sugar is produced at Sunti Golden Sugar Estates, owned and operated by Golden Sugar Company, a subsidiary of the FMN Group. Sunti brown sugar is fully indigenous, made from sugarcane grown, harvested, and processed locally. It is fortified with Vitamin A and provides additional nutritional benefits, creating a consumer affinity for made-in-Nigeria products.
FMN has long established itself as a formidable player in the sugar sector through the success of the Golden Penny pure white refined sugar, renowned for its sweetness. With the Sunti brown sugar launch, FMN further reaffirms its commitment to the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan, which aims to increase the domestic production of sugar to meet the 1.7 million metric tonnes (mmt) demand. Sunti brown sugar will enable Nigeria to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production by growing the required local capacity to meet the demand for sugar which will stem the tide of unbridled importation of sugar and its by-products.
During the launch, Boye Olusanya, the Group Managing Director of FMN, stated that continued investments in Nigeria’s sugar value chain would increase local sugar production capacity while empowering host communities.
He said: “Currently, the sugar that is produced from locally grown sugarcane meets less than 5 per cent of the nation’s demand. So, FMN’s commitment to improving the supply value chain through backward integration will immensely improve food security and reduce the over-dependence on sugar imports. It also creates vast employment opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled labour. And while we are not quite there yet, I believe that with Golden Sugar’s leadership in the industry, Nigeria is well on its way to recapturing the glory years of sugar production in the 80s. In the long run, our goal is to build a vibrant sugar sector, one the economy can derive immeasurable benefits from.”
Olusanya explained that restoring the nation’s self-sufficiency in the sugar sector requires a conducive policy environment that the government has provided through the Backward Integration Programme of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan.
Also speaking, Devlin Hainsworth, Managing Director, Foods Division, FMN Group, revealed that the company has a history of creating innovative products loved by consumers. He said, “we are building on our track record of excellence in the sugar industry. Without a doubt, the addition of Sunti brown sugar to our product portfolio broadens our ability to meet the diverse needs of our customers.”