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Dangote Cement targets 5,000 jobs with Senegal plant

By BusinessNews Staff on April 7, 2015

Dangote Cement Plc has announced the rollout of products from its $300m cement plant in Senegal amid excitement by the country’s government on the prospect of direct employment of about 5,000 locals by the company.

The company noted in a statement that with the new plant, it hoped to improve Senegal’s cement production capacity with an additional 1.5 million metric tonnes, while serving an export market demand of two million metric tonnes along the Mali boarder.

It expressed optimism that it would be able to penetrate the market with at least 1.2 million metric tonnes of cement before end of 2015.

The Country Head, Dangote Cement, Senegal, Mr. Luk Haelterman, was quoted as saying that the company’s plant was near completion but had commenced production to fill the demand gap in the country, especially with its 42.5 grade of cement.

He said, “Despite being a saturated one, the company has potential for growth, both for local consumption and export, with the introduction of the new cement grade in the region.

“The last few years have seen the company overcoming a lot challenges in the country, especially those related to the smear campaign on environmental impact of the factory in the country. It is a saturated market with Dangote being the third entrant in the market after two other cement manufacturers.

“What has kept us going is the competitive edge that our 42.5 grade of cement has given us in offering consumers fine quality of cement. Our corporate social responsibility activities have improved and we believe that the plant will be exemplary in community matters.”

According to the statement, the establishment of the cement plant by Dangote is the single largest investment in Senegal by an African and the Senegalese government has promised to protect the company to achieve its optimal production capacity.

It added that both the Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, Katyen Jackden; and Senegal’s Director of Mines, Ousmane Cisse, commended the doggedness of the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, in seeing the plant through despite various setbacks.

“The new plant, located in Pout district of Senegal, about 75 kilometres east of Dakar, the country’s capital, has a nominal capacity to produce 4,000 metric tonnes per day and 1.2MT per annum. The plant is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs, with a total production capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes annually,” the statement added.

Jackden explained that Dangote had, through his investments in African countries, built bridges of friendship across nations, fostering unity and integration among African countries.

Haelterman also noted that the company’s entrance into the Senegalese market had altered the equation in the cement market.

“Senegal, with a population of 14 million people, is a market with ever growing demand for cement because quite a lot of construction activities are going on. There were two existing cement plants before Dangote came on board. But today, Dangote has become the biggest and best because we remain the only company producing the 42.5R, which is better than what we met on ground, which is the 32.5R,” he was quoted as saying.

The Chief Operating Officer of the plant, Athanasios Bampos, said the location of the factory was not only rich in limestone but also in clay and laterite, which are the major components for cement manufacturing.

[Punch]

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