* Buhari commissioning Sunti Sugar Coy.           Photo: Femi Adesina

     By Pita Chib, Minna 

     Ten thousand people will be directly engaged in the N50 billion Sunti Golden Sugar Estate in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, President Muhammad Buhari has said. 

     Buhari disclosed this on Thursday When he commissioned the  Sunti  sugar factory, saying  the magnitude of investment in the sugar estate is a clear manifestation that the policies on economic diversification  of the government is attracting the right kind of support and engagement.

     "With N50 billion  invested into Sunti  Golden sugar Estate, this makes it the largest Agro-allied investment in Nigeria today. The sugar factory will produce 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually, employ 10,000 people directly and a network of 3,000 small scale outgrowers of sugarcane. "

     He explained that the socio-economic impact of the company's investment cannot be quantified as lives would be changed and the impact on the national economy will be significant.

     President further noted that the benefits of the River Niger have been overlooked for long stressing on the need for proper utilization of the masses of bodies and how it can be converted for commerce and investment. 

     Buhari then reassured Nigerians that the administration is committed to the transformation and diversification of the economy, adding that they wold continue to support businesses and investors by creating enabling business environment.

     He stated that sugar have been identified as a key commodity that is critical to national food security, adding that the sugar factory will help stem the tide of importation of sugar, save foreign exchange and create wealth amidst rural poverty. 

     Earlier, the  Niger state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, said Nigerlites are proud farmers  that would utilise the sugar estate  to make themselves more  productive.

     Bello said that 2018 have been earmarked as the year of agricultural revolution in the state calling on investors to invest in the state which is a perfect model for investment. 

     He said that the sugar mills which is one of the two sugar mills in the country will produce 4,500 metric tonnes of sugar per day. 

     The governor  however appealed to the President for the speedy completion of the Suleja road,  Tegina-Kontagora road and Mokwa-Jebba road in order to attract more investors into the state. 

     The Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria, owners of the sugar subsidiary, Mr. John Coumantaros, said the Sunti sugar factory would ensure that local sugar is produced in Niger state, adding that the factory is showcasing the shift in the focus from crude oil to agriculture.