Dangote Cement targets 100mmtpa by 2020

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President/Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Cement Plc, has disclosed that the company plans to achieve a cement production capacity of 100 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) in the next years.

He said this at the contract signing ceremony between Dangote Cement Plc and Sinoma International Engineering Company Limited for the construction of nine new cement plants in 11 countries across Africa and Asia held in Lagos yesterday.

According him, at the completion of the $4.34 billion projects in 30 months time, Dangote Cement production capacity will increase to 71mmtpa, as these new plants would produce a total of 25mmtpa.

The new integrated cement plants would be constructed simultaneously in Nigeria (Itori 1 and 2 with a combined production capacity of six  million mmtpa); Niger Republic (1.5mmtpa); Gambia (1.5mmtpa) being the company’s second plant in the country as it ready has 1.5mmtpa plant

running there; Gambia (2.5mmtpa), which will bring the plant there to two and Kenya (two plants with a combined capacity of 3mmtpa).

Other countries where these new plants would be sited include: Senegal (1.5mmtpa), Nepal (3mmtpa), and new grinding lines in Cameroon (1.5mmtpa), which would be commissioned today, Mali (1.5mmtpa), Cote D’Ivoire (1.5mmtpa) and Ghana (1.5mmtpa).

Alhaji Dangote added that the projects when completed would create about 25,000 direct and indirect employments.

“By the time these projects are completed, Dangote Cement will have more than 70mmtpa production capacity. And we are not going to stop there.

In Africa, we are progressing. By 2020 the target is to get to 100mmtpa,” he noted.

This, he explained would be achieved during Greenfield construction and acquisitions.

The President of Dangote Group assured that soon the continent would cease to bag cements as it will be self-sufficient in terms of cement.

“We are seeing increasing number of our logistics. As we speak, at the port we have almost 2,000 trucks that have arrived for our distribution chain,” elaborated.

He averred that Dangote Cement is presently focused on Africa, because it does not want it to be a dumping ground for foreign cements, although it also planning to expand to South America and Asia.

“When you look at it today in Africa, because of lack of cement and the high cost of cement, infrastructure is not actually commensurate with the population. There will be construction, going forward. And there can’t be infrastructure without cement,” he said.

Moreso, Alhaji Dangote advised the Nigerian government to adopt the construction of roads with cement, saying it is cheaper and more durable than those constructed with bitumen.

He also revealed the company’s plans to embark on limestone exportation.

Mr. Shen Jun, Managing Director, Sinoma International Engineering Company Limited opined that these new projects would promote economic development in the countries that are sited.

“I promise Dangote that we will provide excellent technology and equipment in the construction of these projects.