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Dangote cement plant, Ibese, Ogun State with production capacity of 12 million metric tons of cement per annum has achieved 2.4 million metric tons export annually to West African markets, mainly Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana.
Armando Martinez, plant director, said that the cement plant in Ibese has concluded plans to export 2 million metric tons annually, of klinker, a major cement raw material, to Dangote cement plants in both Ghana and Cameroon for a full-fledged cement production.
Speaking during a facility tour conducted on Dangote cement plant, Ibese by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Martinez noted that Dangote cement and Dangote Group was vigorously expanding and covering more African countries by locating more cement plants across Africa, explaining that the former grinding and packaging plants in Cameroon and Ghana would be converted to cement production plants.
Martinez, who was represented during the facility tour by Sunday Adondua, the general manager, Production, said that Dangote cement targets 77 million metric tons of cement annually, but produces 44 million metric tons of cement at present, and Nigeria accounts for 29.5 million metric tons of the total cement production.
“Between 15 and 20 percent of total production we are doing now goes for exports to Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana. We are even increasing our exports from here to other African countries with effect from this July. We are exporting not only cement, but also klinker.
“We have a grinding plant in Cameroon, we want to export klinker, we are even developing grinding plant in Ghana and some other African countries, so we will be exporting up to 2 million metric tons of klinker from this July to the end of the year”, he said.
Earlier, Anthony Aboloma, Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), described Dangote cement as one of the best cement manufacturers in the world, saying all Dangote cement plants passed all the parameters used to assess quality and standards as he urged the company to step and sustain the best standards of cement manufacturing.
Aboloma, represented by Joseph Ugbaja, group head, Building and Civil, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), declared that the organisation had undertaken a rigorous process of quality and standard assessment of Dangote cement based on international best practice and could certify the product suitable for building and construction as well as uses.
He said, “Dangote cement should keep up the good work, they should not relent because journey of quality is an endless one, they must keep improving, there is room for improvement”.
“Dangote cement is Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme – MANCAP certified, having gone through a rigorous process of quality checks and its products have satisfied the parameters specified by all standards”.
“We want to also encourage those who are financially endowed to invest in the nation’s economy because they will be helping this country to create wealth and reduce unemployment as well as reduce poverty by providing means of livelihood for millions of Nigerians.”
