According to local reports, construction of a new 1 million tpa Dangote Cement plant in Niger began at a ground-breaking ceremony last week. The ~US$420 million plant is located around 600 km northeast of Niger’s capital, Niamey, and is expected to be completed within 18 months. Speaking at the ceremony, President Issoufou said, “This cement factory will contribute a lot to the economic development of Niger”.
Niger has a population of around 17 million with one of the lowest government revenues per capita in Africa. There is currently just one cement plant in the country, producing 540 000 tpa. Last year, as part of a wider West African railways project, Niger began construction of a railway from the capital to Parakou in Benin.
Nigerian cement giant Dangote has expressed an interested in partnering with the Lagos State Bricklayers Association (LSBA) to tackle the issue of building collapse in Nigeria.
The Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry has defended Dangote Industries Zambia Limited after Zambia Environmental Management Agency banned the company from carrying out mining activities.