According to local media, Dangote Cement has temporarily suspended operations at its 4 million tpa Gboko cement plant in central Nigeria. The shutdown, which has led to staff being asked to take compulsory leave, has been attributed to the increase in cheap imported cement in the region. The oversupply caused by cement imports has been exacerbated by a rise in local production levels. It is not yet known when the plant will reopen.
Dangote has predicted that its annual profit will reach US$932.6 million in 2012 with a forecast cement output of 21.5 million t. The African cement manufacturer plans to increase its production capacity to 60 million tpa by 2014.
Imran Akram, IA Cement Ltd, provides an overview of the cement sectors in the emerging markets. This is an abridged version of the full article, which appeared in the December 2012 issue of World Cement. Subscribers can view the full article by logging in.
Paul Maxwell-Cook arranged an exclusive interview with one of Africa’s richest and most influential businessmen. This article is an abridged version of the full article, which appeared in the November 2012 issue of World Cement. Subscribers can view the full article by logging in.