According to local reports, Aliko Dangote has announced plans to invest an undisclosed sum in the development of the Mbinga coal mine in southwest Tanzania. The investment plans were revealed during a meeting between Dangote and Tanzania’s Vice President Mohammed Gharib Bilal at the Africa Global Business Forum in Dubai.
Coal produced from the Mbinga mine will be used to power the company’s Mtwara cement plant in southeast Tanzania, which is currently under construction. When complete, the Mtwara plant will have a production capacity of around 3 million tpa of cement. Furthermore, the coal will be used to aid the transportation of cement across the Tanzanian borders; this is expected to generate approximately 3000 employment opportunities.
The Dangote Foundation has invested over N152 million in the establishment of a National Ebola Emergency Operations Centre to aid the country’s response to the virus.
The company is reported to be looking at opportunities to expand in the Middle East and South America; meanwhile, in Nigeria, Dangote Cement looks to coal as an alternative to gas or oil.