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Sunday, June
14, 2020 / 04:30PM / Dangote Cement / Header Image Credit: Dangote Cement
. MAN Commends Dangote for Spearheading
Nigeria's Export Drive
To reaffirm its status as the biggest cement producer
in Africa, Dangote Cement has set the pace with the exportation of 27,800
metric tonnes of clinker to a neighbouring African country.
With this historic maiden voyage from its Export
Terminal located in Apapa Port, Lagos weekend, Dangote has gradually made
Nigeria, which until recently was one of the world's largest bulk importers of
cement, first self-sufficient in cement production, and now an exporter of
cement clinker to other countries.
The exportation of clinker from the Dangote Cement
Export Terminal will also place Nigeria as one of the leading clinker exporters
in the world. The company is expected to increase the quantity of clinker
export to other African countries within the next few weeks, it was further
learnt.
It said this development would enable Dangote Cement
take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and by so doing
contribute to the improvement of intra-regional trade within the ECOWAS region.
The Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) has
therefore commended Dangote Cement for leading the way for Nigeria to become
one of the biggest cement and clinker exporter in the world.
Speaking during the departure of the ship conveying
clinker from the Export Terminal at the weekend, Group Executive Director,
Dangote Group, Alhaji Sada Ladan-Baki said the increased exportation of clinker
and cement to other African countries would not only place Dangote Cement among
top clinker exporters in the world, but would also boost Nigeria's foreign
exchange earnings and reduce unemployment in the country.
"The beauty of what we have done is that we are going
to be generating foreign exchange for the country in terms of dollars and
Euros. For every batch of clinker we export, the money comes back to Nigeria.
The amount we are talking about is not small. Presently, Dangote Cement should
either be number one or number two exporter of cement in Africa and the revenue
we have generated in the form of foreign exchange is running into millions.
Today, we have formally launched the Dangote Cement Export Terminal. We are
still going to do another major launch when the second ship is going out of the
country," he added.
Alhaji Sada recalled that only a few years ago,
Nigeria was one of the world's largest bulk importers of cement, saying that
"Dangote has gradually made Nigeria self-sufficient in cement production
as well as an exporter of clinker to other countries.
He disclosed that the company would also be launching
its export terminal in Onne in the next few days, adding that the export
terminal would enable the company export clinker, initially to its grinding
facility in Cameroon and then to new grinding plants the company is building
across West Africa.
He explained that not only would this generate useful
foreign currency for Dangote Cement to support other expansion projects outside
Nigeria, it would also help to increase the output of the Nigerian plants,
saying these would help to improve job creation and increase prosperity in Nigeria.
He stated: "This terminal will assist Dangote to
actualise the full potential of the company's investment in cement. You know as
usual, when the rain comes, sales decline, but not clinker export. This feat by
Dangote is going to generate a lot of jobs because the Export Terminal has
already created jobs to many Nigerians. As at now, the numbers of employed
Nigerians at the terminal have reached 100. We are targeting about 200 to 300
workers in Lagos Terminal alone.
"But, apart from job creation opportunities, the
exportation of clinker by Dangote will position the country to participate
fully in the Africa Free Trade Liberalisation Agreement when it comes into
being, so that Nigeria will be protected against foreign products. It will also
help the country compete effectively with every country that are in the
business of exportation of clinker. At Dangote Cement, we are going about it
aggressively and we are seeing it as an opportunity."
Alhaji Sada said the company has also concluded plans
to increase its clinker and cement export to other countries. "This vessel,
being the maiden ship is exporting 27,800 metric tonnes to Senegal and this is
just a tip of the ice-berg as to what we have in plan. What we have in plan is
to send clinker from Nigeria to Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana. Cameroon as an
example, takes about 82,000 metric tonnes every month. Our target is to export
at least 4 million metric tonnes of clinker annually to various parts of
Africa.
"That is our target that we hope to achieve
within the next one to two years. This particular voyage is going to our sister
company in Senegal. We have an integrated plant of 1.5 million tonnes and this
one is expected to give the plant additional clinker that is required for the
plant to sustain production. In the next one week or two, we are going to be
shipping 82,000 metric tonnes to Cameroon in batches of about 25,000 to 29,000
metric tonnes per voyage," he added.
Speaking on Dangote's achievement, the Acting Director-General
of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chuma Oruche praised the
wealthiest man in Africa for leading the way in the export of product from
Nigeria to other countries.
According to him, this feat by Dangote Cement is
capable of boosting Nigeria's foreign earning and reduce unemployment in the
country.
He said: "The export of clinker by Dangote Cement at
the weekend will definitely be beneficial to Nigerian economy in terms of
export earnings, job creation and wealth creation for families connected with
these achievements."
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