Dangote to increase cement supply in Ghana

       Dangote Cement, producers of high quality cement in Nigeria, has assured its customers in Ghana of increased supply of cement at affordable prices without compromising its unparalleled quality this year.
The assurance by the Nigerian company, which has production plants in 14 African countries, is as a result of the near completion of expansion works on its plant at Ibese in Ogun State in Nigeria to increase its capacity from the current six million tonnes to 12 million tonnes.
Currently Dangote Cement has 11 per cent share of the Ghanaian market and it has assured its growing customers  in Ghana that bagged and bulk cement will be transported by road from Nigeria to Ghana for the benefit of both retailers and cherished end users of its products.
Currently, Dangote Cement holds 60 per cent share of the Nigerian cement market. It has so far invested over $2 billion in the Ibese plant.
As part of its feverish preparations, the company has taken delivery of 5,000 trucks and 100 bulk cement trailers for haulage of cement to all parts of Nigeria and  Ghana.
Briefing some journalists and customers from Ghana on a sponsored visit to its Ibese plant,  a Vice-Chairman of Dangote Industries, who is also in charge of operations in Ghana, Alhaji Tajudeen Adesina Sijuade, said the real intention of the company was to build a similar plant in Ghana when the encumberances on limestone deposits were removed.
According to him, access to limestone in Ghana had not been possible because individuals had held on to it as their personal asset and were using it as bargaining chip for investors interested in exploiting the resources for the production of clinker and subsequently cement in Ghana.
He told reporters about a decision by a former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, when Nigeria was faced with a similar situation, to order all Nigerians holding on to limestone deposits over five years to free them for others and asked those companies that would be given the opportunity to mine the limestone to begin operations within three years after taking charge of the mines.
Alhaji Sijuade said he was floating that idea around so that it could guide the Ghanaian authorities to also take a decision within the Ghanaian context that would be appropriate under the circumstance.
At the Ibese mine, all required raw materials, apart from gypsum, for producing cement are readily available at one location. This is one of the major advantages in selecting that location for the cement plant.
It is estimated that the Ibese site has limestone reserves of 760 million tonnes on a 36.88-km2 land and will last over 100 years, but the company maintains that once Ghana is also endowed with limestone and other raw materials, they must be exploited in a sustained manner to ensure that the huge amount of foreign currency that is used in importing clinker is reduced.
Apart from its Nigerian operations, the company produces cement in 14 African countries where it offers job opportunities, both directly and indirectly, and impacts positively on communities within the catchment area of the cement factories.



Published: 16.01.13

*  One of the huge clinker silos at the factory.