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Stakeholders refute claim of substandard cement

By on May 27, 2014

The Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Joe Hudson, has said that there is no substandard cement in the country, contrary to the claim that the product is responsible for the increasing cases of building collapse.

Hudson stated this at a briefing by Lafarge and its sister companies in Nigeria to clarify issues on the clamour for the ban of the 32.5 grade of cement.

Hudson said the 32.5 grade of cement had its usefulness and could not be classified as substandard.

“In alignment with all relevant professional bodies and agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, I say categorically that there is no sub-standard cement in production in Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, cement is a component of concrete and, therefore, cannot be the root cause of building collapse.

He said some of the causes of building collapse as identified at a public discourse recently organised by the company included the use of unqualified workmen in building construction, non-adherence to building codes, sharp practices by some contractors, natural disasters and sabotage.

Over the last three months, there have been controversies over the role of cement in building collapse in the country.

While some have said that the 32.5 grade, which is the lowest grade of the product in the country, should be banned outright, others have said that like other grades, the 32.5 has its usefulness, and has been used for building construction for several decades.

Hudson said the clamour for the ban of the grade was not a question of quality or building collapse but about competition and de-marketing of competitors’ products.

He said, “A lot of Nigerians grew up to know Elephant Cement, our flagship product, which is 32.5 and has been used for several constructions.

“We are the first cement actor in the country to rally support for addressing the root causes of building collapse, starting in 2010 with the first building collapse national discourse.

“The second edition was held in April 2014, with all key stakeholders in attendance and the contributions at these sessions, which are key to achieving the zero building collapse objective, have been made public via a published communiqué.”

According to him, the 32.5 grade is used all over the world for different purposes, including building construction, plastering and screeding.

Hudson said, “Lafarge has the widest range of cement products in Nigeria, which have been developed to respond more specifically to various needs of different customers and applications, and meet the needs of low buildings and more sophisticated structures.

“We will continue all efforts to heighten awareness of our products and to make sure the public knows about the strength and quality of our solutions.”

He maintained that there was nowhere else in the world, where the 32.5 cement grade had either been restricted or banned, noting that that would be unprofessional.

“It is interesting to note that in South Africa, the 32.5 cement grade is recommended for a wide spectrum of applications by another leading cement producer in Nigeria; why then is this debate about 32.5 cement grade raging in Nigeria?” he queried.

The Managing Director, Unicem, Mr. Olivier Lenoir, stated that 90 per cent of cement produced by his company for many years was 32.5 and there had never been an incident associated with the products.

“I have experience of more than 40 years in the cement industry and I find this claim to be unprofessional. There should be different cement grades for different applications,” he said.

Lenoir said the regulators should not take arbitrary decisions based on inconclusive processes, but rather ensure that all stakeholders were properly engaged, as any rash action might create doubts about the investment climate in the country.

The Managing Director, Ashaka Cement Mr. Leonard Palka, reiterated Lenoir’s stance, adding, “We had engaged the regulatory authorities severally since the misinformation on cement quality in Nigeria began to be peddled because of our desire to present the facts that will ensure that informed decisions are taken in the overall interest of Nigerians.”

He said limiting the use of the 32.5 grade of cement would eliminate consumers’ choices, producers’ capacities and ultimately lead to increase in cement price across the country.

Palka said there should be a level playing field for all stakeholders in the cement industry to operate freely in the country.

 

[Punch]