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BUA Foods Plc, the Lagos-based food producer led by Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, is nearing the completion of Nigeria’s largest integrated sugar complex, a project aimed at boosting local sugar production in a country that continues to rely heavily on imports.
Located in Lafiagi, Kwara State, the facility is about 80 percent complete. “What we are building here will be the largest sugar mill, plantation, and refinery in Nigeria, processing 10,000 tons of cane daily,” said Kabiru Rabiu, group executive director of BUA Group, during a Monday site tour with senior government officials. He added that the project will generate 35 megawatts of electricity from bagasse and produce 20 million liters of industrial ethanol annually.
Fully integrated operations
The Lafiagi Sugar Company Limited (LASUCO) spans roughly 20,000 hectares and includes plantations, milling and refining facilities, an ethanol plant, irrigation systems, a power station, housing, healthcare, and education facilities for workers and nearby communities.
The visit by John Owan Enoh, minister of state for industry, alongside the Nigerian Sugar Development Council, reinforced government support for major industrial projects, Enoh said the scale of infrastructure, including roads and a 3-kilometer landing strip, demonstrates the importance of completing LASUCO.
“My understanding is that LASUCO is the largest greenfield sugar factory in Nigeria,” Enoh said. “Completion is critical, and this visit reinforces our confidence in the project’s management.”
Economic impact
The delegation also met with the Emir of Lafiagi, Mohammed Kudu Kawu, who praised the project for aligning with local development priorities. Kamar Bakrin, executive secretary of the Sugar Development Council, noted, “Nobody has invested in a sugar factory like BUA Foods.”
Once operational, LASUCO is expected to produce 220,000 metric tons of refined sugar annually, alongside power and ethanol output that could support nearby industries. The project, is central to Nigeria’s goals of conserving foreign exchange, stabilizing supply, and creating jobs across the agricultural value chain.
BUA Foods’ growth
Under the leadership of Abdul Samad Rabiu, BUA Foods, which operates BUA Sugar Refinery, BUA Oil Mills, IRS Flour, IRS Pasta and BUA Rice, remains largely family-controlled. Rabiu holds a 92.63 percent stake, with his son, Isyaku Naziru Rabiu, owning 1.62 percent.
For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2025, BUA Foods’ net profit doubled to N405.2 billion ($283.5 million) on revenue of N1.42 trillion ($987 million). The leading food giant recently signed a deal in Dubai for a 32-tonnes-per-hour rice processing line.
