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Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Bua Group Throws Its Weight Behind Cement Price Reduction, Commends Dangote

04 Nov 2014

443-Abdulsamad-Rabiu.jpg - 443-Abdulsamad-Rabiu.jpg
 Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Ra

Crusoe Osagie
Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, has thrown his weight behind Dangote Cement Plc’s reduction in the cost of cement from about N1,700 to N1,000 a bag, representing a 40 per cent price cut, which was announced at the weekend.
According to Rabiu, he has always advocated a reduction in the cost of cement so that more Nigerians can have access to the product and realise their dream of owning houses of their own.
“It is against this background that I commend Alhaji Aliko Dangote for this patriotic initiative which is long overdue,” he said.
He further revealed that he had an extensive telephone conversation with Dangote on the issue and encouraged him on the initiative.
“What Alhaji Dangote has done today is significant. I am very pleased about it because it would make the cost of the product more easily affordable to Nigerians. With this price reduction, more consumers will be able to buy the product and subsequently drive up demand and in turn increase market share for industry players.
“I hereby urge all cement producers to emulate Dangote and bring down the cost of cement. There is absolutely no reason for a bag of cement to cost so much.
“Despite the infrastructure challenges being faced by the manufacturing sector of the Nigerian economy, it does not justify the high cost of cement.
“On our part, I have already directed all our plants to follow suit and implement the new price regime. We still believe that more can be done to bring down the price even further for the benefit of Nigerians,” Rabiu stated.
The BUA Group chairman stressed that there was really no reason for the price of cement to exceed N1,000 per bag, bearing in mind the massive success of the backward integration policy implemented 12 years ago, in which tens of billions of dollars were directly and indirectly injected into the Nigerian cement industry with Dangote Cement accounting for the larger share of the contribution.
This has seen cement national productivity rising from a mere 2.2 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) to over 30 million mtpa in the last 10 years, Rabiu observed.
BUA Group acquired Edo Cement Company Limited three years ago and has spent over $500 million in putting up an ultra-modern three million mtpa production line which is billed to be commissioned in the first quarter of next year.
Upon completion of this plant, the total annual production capacity will rise from 500,000 mtpa to 3.5 million mtpa.
In addition, the company also has controlling equity in Sokoto Cement Company also known as Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc (CCNN). The plant is presently being expanded with a 1.5 million mtpa line. Work is currently in progress and will be commissioned early 2016.

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