The President of the Lagos State Bricklayers’ Association, Mr. Abel Olukayode, said the executive members of the association held a meeting and decided that the increase in prices of cement would worsen the housing crisis in the country, hence the need to call the government’s attention to the plight of the common man.

He said the protest rally would be held throughout Lagos State on September 26.

“We held a meeting about the exorbitant prices of cement, and we decided that we should go on a protest rally on the 26th of September. We love the nation and our clients; our motto is ‘service to humanity’. We don’t have any hidden agenda and no plan to increase our service charge but this is disservice to the people,” he said.

Olukayode said that despite the challenges faced by manufacturers over foreign exchange, the sudden increase in the prices of cement and other quarry products would further dampen the hope of the people who aspired to own houses.

“People must have access to shelter, so, our service charges will remain the same but there is a problem. Everyone in the construction industry is lamenting and if care is not taken, many companies in the sector will go bankrupt. We have been battling building collapse but with this, we may lose more lives and properties,” he said.

The Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria a few weeks ago raised prices of their various brands by N600 per bag and an additional N100 for the cost of haulage.

Currently, distributors and retailers sell the commodity between N2, 300 and N2, 500, depending on location and brand.

Last week, block moulders went on a five-day strike over the increase and at the end of it, raised the prices of their products by over 30 per cent.

According to Olukayode,the rally is to call on the government to look into cement manufacturing.

“We have almost all the raw materials for cement production in the country; so why are we having this high price? We know the issue with foreign exchange is affecting everyone but that does not mean that cement price should be high and out of the reach of the poor,” he said.

The General Secretary of the association, Mr.AkinmoladunOlaniyi, said that at the end of the protest, if there was no positive response from the government and manufacturers, members of the association might be forced to down tools.

The Patron of the association, Mr. AladeOyekola, said that after the rally, bricklayers hoped to prevail on the government to encourage importation of cement or create conducive environment for more cement manufacturers as this could crash prices.

A former President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. TundeLasabi, said that the government should urgently look into cement manufacturing in the country.

He said, “Cement is the basic thing in construction, so, when the price rises, the cost of building construction will rise and that means it will be out of the reach of a lot of people.

“The government should consider the 17 million housing deficit of the country and the entire affordable housing programme; something must be done quickly.”

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The firm said in a statement that the artisans, who usually gather at the junction waiting to be hired by contractors, included bricklayers, plumbers, block moulders, concrete mixers and loaders.

“They gather under the sun while waiting for contractors or those in need of their services. Dangote Cement, as part of its corporate social responsibility project, donated shovels, plastic tables and chairs as well as beach umbrellas to them, and also dressed them in its branded T-shirts,” the statement read in part.

The Regional Director, Marketing Services, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Johnson Olaniyi, who led the firm’s team to a ceremony where the items were presented to the artisans, told them that the management of the company decided to provide them with the items so as to ease their work.

Olaniyi urged the artisans to regard themselves as brand ambassadors of Dangote Cement, with the branded shirts, while going about their business.

The Chairman of the artisans, Mr. Dauda Lawal, was quoted as saying that the gifts proved that the cement company was willing to boost productivity in the construction sector.

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According to the firm, the block makers were given items such as wheel barrows, shovels, rain boots and hand gloves in Badagry and Ibeju areas of Lagos, and Agbara in Ogun State.

The Regional Manager, Marketing Services, Dangote Cement, Mr. Johnson Olaniyi, was quoted by a statement to have told the block makers that the gesture was one of the many incentives lined up by the company to help them boost their businesses.

He added that the donated items were to enable them attain the necessary standards necessary to ensure safety of buildings as well as curb the menace of sub-standard block making, which contributes to building collapse.

“Contrary to what some quacks are saying, cement block contributes to the safety and strength of a building hence the need to take great care in terms of the components used in moulding them,” he was quoted as saying.

Olaniyi added that the wheel barrows were meant to assist the block makers to get the right measurement and correct ratio in terms of cement, granite dust and sand, while the rain boots and hand gloves were for protective purposes.

He also advised the block makers to always sieve the sand they use in block making to remove all embedded debris, which could affect the strength of the blocks if retained, urging them to use water free from salt and oil contaminants to mould blocks.

According to the statement, Stephen Olarewaju who operates a block making factory lauded Dangote Cement for coming to their aid.

He was quoted to have said that it was a way of giving back to the block makers, who form a substantial portion of cement users.

According to him safety standards will improve because many block makers who are not using rain boots and hand gloves before now have them as gifts from Dangote Cement.

Another block maker, Alhaji Hodonu Sikiru, said the donation was a welcome development, which would help him and his colleagues.

He said a lot of the block moulders did not have wheel barrows, but just make assumptions when mixing sand and cement, adding that with the implement now in place, standards would improve.

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The company noted in a statement that with the new plant, it hoped to improve Senegal’s cement production capacity with an additional 1.5 million metric tonnes, while serving an export market demand of two million metric tonnes along the Mali boarder.

It expressed optimism that it would be able to penetrate the market with at least 1.2 million metric tonnes of cement before end of 2015.

The Country Head, Dangote Cement, Senegal, Mr. Luk Haelterman, was quoted as saying that the company’s plant was near completion but had commenced production to fill the demand gap in the country, especially with its 42.5 grade of cement.

He said, “Despite being a saturated one, the company has potential for growth, both for local consumption and export, with the introduction of the new cement grade in the region.

“The last few years have seen the company overcoming a lot challenges in the country, especially those related to the smear campaign on environmental impact of the factory in the country. It is a saturated market with Dangote being the third entrant in the market after two other cement manufacturers.

“What has kept us going is the competitive edge that our 42.5 grade of cement has given us in offering consumers fine quality of cement. Our corporate social responsibility activities have improved and we believe that the plant will be exemplary in community matters.”

According to the statement, the establishment of the cement plant by Dangote is the single largest investment in Senegal by an African and the Senegalese government has promised to protect the company to achieve its optimal production capacity.

It added that both the Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, Katyen Jackden; and Senegal’s Director of Mines, Ousmane Cisse, commended the doggedness of the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, in seeing the plant through despite various setbacks.

“The new plant, located in Pout district of Senegal, about 75 kilometres east of Dakar, the country’s capital, has a nominal capacity to produce 4,000 metric tonnes per day and 1.2MT per annum. The plant is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs, with a total production capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes annually,” the statement added.

Jackden explained that Dangote had, through his investments in African countries, built bridges of friendship across nations, fostering unity and integration among African countries.

Haelterman also noted that the company’s entrance into the Senegalese market had altered the equation in the cement market.

“Senegal, with a population of 14 million people, is a market with ever growing demand for cement because quite a lot of construction activities are going on. There were two existing cement plants before Dangote came on board. But today, Dangote has become the biggest and best because we remain the only company producing the 42.5R, which is better than what we met on ground, which is the 32.5R,” he was quoted as saying.

The Chief Operating Officer of the plant, Athanasios Bampos, said the location of the factory was not only rich in limestone but also in clay and laterite, which are the major components for cement manufacturing.

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The company said in a statement on Tuesday that the commencement of production in the Cameroonian commercial city came in the wake of the inauguration of another 1.5 million tonnes capacity per annum Senegal plant in Pout in January.

The company had last year listed six plants across five African countries for completion this year.

The plants, according to the President and Chief Executive, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote will add about 13.5 million metric tonnes of cement per annum to the existing capacity upon completion.

The plants are located in Zambia, with 1.5mmtpa capacity; Tanzania, 1.5mmtpa; South Africa, 3mmtpa; Republic of Congo, 1.5mmtpa; Gabon, 1.5mmtpa; and Senegal, 1.5mmtpa

Back home in Nigeria, Dangote Cement ramp up capacity, adding third and fourth production lines to the existing 6mmtpa in Ibese, Ogun State, to bring the total capacity to 12mmtpa, and another 3mmtpa line is currently being added to the Obajana Cement Plant in Kogi State.

Dangote told a delegation from Organised Private Sector, who visited him in his office in Lagos, that the 1.5mmtpa plant in Cameroon commenced initial production at one million tonnes per annum before it would be stepped up to the maximum capacity level.

He stated that the Douala plant would revolutionise the cement industry in Cameroon and help stimulate the Western African economy as Dangote Cement would be churning out its 42.5 quality grade of cement at a very competitive price.

Dangote explained that the plant remained the most modern in Cameroon because of the latest technologies used in its construction from Germany, United States and France by the renowned plant engineering firm, Sinoma.

He stated that the company started by importing clinker and that production was being carried out in the most environmental friendly level, pointing out that the dust emission by the plant was lower than the 50mm international standard.

He promised that Dangote Cement as a law abiding organisation would play by the rules of the land and that it would replicate its robust corporate social services in the host community.

On the economic benefit of the plant, Dangote stated that over 1,000 people would be employed directly, while 5,000 others would benefit from the indirect employment to be generated by the production activities of the plant.

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According to a statement signed by the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, the business units were certified for quality management, occupational, health and safety as well as environmental management system.

He added that the company

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The Chairman of the council, Prof. Kabir Bala, according to a statement by the company, said during a visit to Dangote Cement, Obajana Plant that there was a need for partnership with the company, adding that the collaboration would be “project specific”.

Bala said he was impressed by the success recorded at the plant, adding, “We want to see Dangote-CORBON housing scheme. We are also interested in the training aspect.”

The CORBON Registrar, Dr. Peter Kuroshi, was also quoted as saying the 40 per cent slash in cement prices by Dangote had provided an opportunity to embark on a collaborative mass housing scheme that would bring down rental fees in the country.

Obajana Plant Director Mr. JV Gungune who explained the production process, said he would forward CORBON’s requests to the appropriate quarters.

According to the Operations Manager, Mr. Haruna Adinoyi of the Obajana Plant said with Line 4 on stream, the Obajana plant alone produces 13.25 million metric tons annually while the Dangote Cement Plc controls 62 per cent of the market share in the country.

He however said the country’s cement consumption was still very low compared to South Africa, while he described the Obajana cement plant as the single largest plant in the world.

The Dangote Cement Regional Director Sales Mr. Johnson Olaniyi, said with the new brands of cement introduced by the company, it was tackling the menace of re-bagging by the fraudsters and to prevent collapse building in the country.

The statement also said the President of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Mr. Olayemi Shonubi, who led members and students of the institute on a facility visit to the Ibese plant of the Dangote Cement in Ogun State at the weekend, had argued that three or four of Dangote in Nigeria would have made a huge difference in the economy.

He called on business men across the country to emulate the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, by investing in real manufacturing concerns as a way out of the current drop in crude oil prices and global economic downturn.

Shonubi was quoted as saying that most businessmen in the country were traders and that the economy needed entrepreneurs who would invest in manufacturing.

He noted that all countries being referred to as developed were industrialised nations and did not develop through trading.

Shonubi said that more of manufacturing plants in various sectors of the economy would help the nation especially with the current drop in crude oil prices which had made nonsense of the nation’s revenue and currency value.

He also called on the government to urgently see to the formulation of policies that would encourage manufacturing so that more investors could join the Dangote Group and use investment in manufacturing rather than trading as an effective mechanism to industrialise the country.

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