The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cement

  • Cement Company of Northern Nigeria declares N1.918b profit

    Cement Company of Northern Nigeria declares N1.918b profit

    • BUA supports govt’s sugar policy

    Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) Plc (Sokoto Cement), a subsidiary of BUA Group, has declared a profit after tax (PAT) of N1.918 billion for the 2014 financial year. This represents a 23.05 per cent increase from a PAT of N1.559 billion in 2013.

    Speaking at the company’s 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja, the Chairman of CCNN Plc, Mr. Abdulsamad Rabiu, said despite lower cement sales recorded in the last quarter of 2014 mainly due to pockets of unrest in CCNN Plc’s business markets, the company’s focus on efficiency and strategic investments resulted in steady growth during this period.

    Rabiu said from a high of N2.77 billion in 2013, CCNN Plc’s production and operational expenses significantly declined to N2.40b in 2014.

    Shareholders were also apprised about notable developments the company took in the financial year, including CCNN Plc’s proposed N48b cement plant expansion, which will modernise production facilities and raise the company’s output to 2.0 million metric tonnes of cement annually.

    Other business of the day included an amendment of articles 117 and 119 as contained in CCNN Plc’s Articles of Association, which saw shareholders assent to changes in reportage of financial results as well as the recognition of electronic mail addresses respectively.

    Analysts expect BUA Group, CCNN Plc’s chief shareholder to further boost revenue in 2015, with the coming on stream of its three million metric tonne Obu Cement plant in Southern Nigeria.

    Ms Adetutu Adegbayibi, an Investment Research Analyst at Meristem Securities anticipates that CCNN Plc’s figures for 2015 could show a PAT of N1.94 billion, 1.93 per cent higher than 2014.

    Established in 1962, CCNN Plc, which is one of Nigeria’s oldest cement companies, produces and markets cement under the brand name ‘Sokoto Cement’. The company also runs the only cement plant in North-West Nigeria. Its primary catchment areas are Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, and Kaduna States.

    Nigeria’s food and infrastructure conglomerate BUA Group, has reaffirmed its commitment to implement the Federal Government’s backward integration policy in the sugar industry through its sugar subsidiary, BUA Sugar.

    BUA Group operates a state-of-the-art sugar refinery in Lagos and plans to commission its second mega sugar refinery in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, by the end of this year. The combined capacity of these two refineries of around 1.5million metric tonnes/year will make BUA Group the largest single refiner of sugar within Nigeria.

  • Sokoto Cement spends N260m on communities’ resettlement

    Sokoto Cement spends N260m on communities’ resettlement

    Over N260 million has been spent in resettling 183 families from three communities affected by the expansion embarked upon by Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN), its Managing Director, Mr. Alf Karlsen has said.

    The beneficiary communities are Dan Atu, Sabon-Gida and Gidan- Mubaga in Sokoto State. They have been resettled at Sabongari Alu in Wamakko Local Government.

    Karlsen, who spoke while handing over some of the structures to the caretaker chairman of the council, Alhaji Ahmed Kalambaina,  said the amount was the compensation paid on houses and farmlands and the acquisition of the quarry in the area.

    Represented by the Executive Director, Finance, Mr. Ibrahim Aminu, Karlsen said the company had donated 200 plots to the 186 families where they built their new homes, linked the community with electricity and provided them with potable water.

    He also said the company, locally known as Sokoto Cement, had built an Islamic and modern primary school, clinic, mosque and access roads, among others. He expressed happiness on the existing cordial relationship between the firm and its host communities.

    “CCNN appreciates this cordial relationship, which is key to our sustained successful operations and that is why we even expanded the over 50-year-old company. We will continue to diligently discharge our corporate social responsibilities to further improve the living standard of the members of our host communities,’” he said.

    Alhaji Kalambaina commended the firm for assisting the communities, and pledged to deploy competent teachers to schools and post medical staff to the clinic.

    In their separate remarks, District Heads of Gumbi and Kalambaina, Alhaji Sama’ila Mujelli and Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed appealed to the company to float a scholarship scheme for youths in the area.

  • BCPG moves against illegal cement re-bagging

    The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has urged the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CEMAN) to hold regular training and re-orientation sessions for cement distributors and retailers. This according to the guild, will further educate them on the implications sharp practices of illegal re-bagging of cement with the aim of discouraging same.

    BCPG President, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, in a in a letter to CEMAN said the essence of packaging cement at 50kg quantity per bag is to ensure consistency in mix ratio on site. He explained that when such quantity is deliberately reduced by some dubious cement distributors and retailers actuated by profiteering, then structural defects in building become imminent.

    “The sharp practice of cement quantity depletion is prevalent in the building material markets in Nigeria, especially in Abuja and Port Harcourt. It is unfortunate that this illegal practice has been in existence for long without serious efforts to checkmate it. And it remains a big headache for construction practitioners,” the letter, dated July 2, read in part.

    The guild noted that head pans are the common gauge   This, it explained, is for ease of transportation and lifting, as a bag of cement of 50kg, is the equivalent of two head pans by volume.

    The letter further explained that “a mix ratio of 1:2:4, which is traditionally expected to attain a strength of 20N/mm2 at 28 days, the translation into practice is one head pan of cement (that is, half a bag of cement) will be added to two head pans of fine aggregate such as sharp sand and four head pans of coarse aggregate that could be clean gravel or granite. Then water of appropriate proportion is used to mix the cement and the aggregates together in a workability and compaction that will eventuate in the required strength at 28 days.”

    The group then cautioned that a reduction in the quantity of cement contained in a standard bag, though might not be noticeable, constitutes a serious danger to the overall strength of a concrete. The same is applicable to cement-sand ratio in screeding, rendering and block moulding.

    According to the BCPG, its investigations revealed that the unscrupulous act of cement re-bagging has been buoyed by greed and competition within the circles of some cement distributors and retailers. “The intention to attract customers by deliberately lowering the price, usually between N50 and N100 against the general market price, is identified as the major cause of re-bagged cement syndrome,” the BCPG observed.

  • ‘ Lafarge Plc lost N2.5b to insurgency’

    ‘ Lafarge Plc lost N2.5b to insurgency’

    CEMENT giant Lafarge Plc lost N2.5 billion to the insurgency in the Northeast between November 2014 and April 2015, according to its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Africa, Mr. Guillaume Roux.

    Roux, who visited the office of the Presidential  Initiative for the Northeast, added that the company was investing N100 billion in expansion of its business in the region.

    The cement chief said the company had decided to partner with the Federal Government in rebuilding the ravaged region.

    He said: “We have had some difficulties in the last few months and we estimate we have lost about N2.5 billion during that period.

    “We are committed to development of the region. We have a programme of N100 billion to invest. This is why this partnership is very key.”

    Roux said that Ashaka Cement, owned by Lafarge, had been in the Northeast for over 40 years.

    The company, he said, will be partnering the government in six key areas of entrepreneurship, health, skills acquisition, coal to power solution, education and technology.

    The Chairman of PINE, Prof. Soji Adelaja, described the partnership as a welcome development, saying that the company has shown the way forward in community service relation.

    He said: “We all know Lafarge is the largest employer of labour in the region. It is important that Lafarge plays leadership role in rebuilding the region and set example for other companies in CSR.”

  • Dangote: Upping the ante in Africa’s cement market

    Dangote: Upping the ante in Africa’s cement market

    Dangote has opened its $300 million (about N60 billion) cement plant in Dakar, Senegal. The plant, which runs on cutting-edge technology and innovation, produces the high varity 42.5 cement brand, reports Assistant Editor Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie.

    With the opening of Dangote cement plant in Dakar, Senegal, competition in the market in Africa has become keen. The $300 million (about N60 billion) plant is backed by superior technology and innovation to deliver quality cement.

    “Our edge is the technology we have brought to bear on cement production and the wealth we are creating across the board for the people and government of Senegal,” the Country Head of Dangote Cement, Senegal, Mr. Luk Haelterman, said, at the inauguration, last week, of the 4, 000 Metric Tons (MT) per day plant in Pout District of Senegal, about 75 kilometres East of Dakar, the country’s capital.

    In his welcome address Haelterman said Dangote Cement offered the best choice for consumers, as it is the only 42.5 grade high quality cement available in the country’s  market.

    He said the firm’s coming would boost the housing sub sector, noting that the plant with a production capacity of 1.5 million tons yearly would create more than 5, 000 jobs. Firm’s emergence, he added, has altered the equation in  cement market. Haelterman was right. Until Dangote  hit the market with its superior 42.5 grade cement, the market in Senegal was dominated by Sococim, a French cement company founded in 1948, and CDS. However, while the two firms are producing the 32.5 grade cement,  Dangote introduced the higher quality 42.5 cement grade that allows for quicker drying for construction professionals. “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”, Haelterman said.

    The quality of cement introduced into the market by Dangote is not the only game changer. Despite coming into an already saturated market, the company also came in with the lowest price in the continent, approximately $5 a bag. With a combination of Damgote’s marketing edge in superior quality and pricing, experts say that the continent’s cement landscape is poised for a major positive change-one that would bring immense benefits to all stakeholders.

    Already, Dangote Cement, The Nation learnt, is targeting the exportation of the product to Mali to the tune of two million tonne, while sales of the product in other neighbouring countries are currently being worked out.

    An exporter,  Mr. Serigne Aramine Mbacke, confirmed this much when he disclosed that he distributes about 40 per cent of Dangote Cement to Mali, Gambia, Code de Voire, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. He said he was motivated to distribute the company’s product because of its quality and profit margin. He also said that with the massive investment, which is the single largest in the Franco-phone country by an African, Dangote has made inroads into several African countries, bringing cohesion in the process. While noting that the state-of-the-art cement plant offers huge employment opportunities for Senegal’s estimated 14 million population, he commended the Senegalese Government for being open to investment that is mutually beneficial.

    A Dangote Cement distributor, Mr. Momodu Ndioye could not hide his excitement over the prospects of high profit margin. He told The Nation in Dakar that the quality of Dangote cement is better than others. Hear him: “My customers have confirmed that the quality of the new entrant into the cement market is better than others. They can mould more blocks with Dangote cement and also make more money because it dries faster. This translates to more profit for us distributors.” Another distributor, Mr. Ibrahim Dirkhabi also confirmed this, noting that because of its quality, the Dangote cement dries faster and makes

    stronger blocks. “It is the toast of builders and others in the construction industry,” he said.

    Apart from superior technology, innovation, and pricing, there are other factors that position Dangote Cement to play a leading role in the continent’s competitive cement sector. For instance, as Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Athanasios Bampos disclosed, Dangote Cement boasts a limestone deposit that can last for 150 years.

    The location of the factory is not only rich in limestone, but also in clay and laterite, which are the major components needed in cement manufacturing. ‘’The only component that we import as a company is gypsum, sold by ICS Chemical Company, a local firm, which is about 45 kilometres from the factory,’’ he added.

    That is not all. The company, according to Bampos, also has captive electricity that produces 30 Megawatts of electricity through the exploitation of coal, the first in the country. He explained that the factory has two production lines though they are using one line for now. “We have 3.6 kilometre conveyor belt, three parking bay and a railway about 1.5 kilometres from the factory. We will not have to contend with the problem of transportation and other logistic problems that have to do with transporting our products to destinations where our customers are located, he added.

    In his presentation, the Company’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Serigne M. Dieng said that Senegal, with 14 million people and a growing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of +4 per cent as at 2013 hasm cement market of three MT pa and consumption rate of 230kg. He expressed satisfaction that Dangote Cement has been accepted immediately it got to the market because of the aggressive awareness strategy embarked upon by the company to introduce the 42.5 grade, which was not known to the majority of customers except a few corporate customers.

    An obviously elated Director of Mines and Geology for Senegal, Mr. Ousmane Cisse, said the $300million factory remains the biggest investment in his country in the last 15 years. He said the massive investment has changed the economy of his country for good. He noted that the company had met all the requirements on key issues of environmental sustainability, good business practice and compliance with regulations, adding that the Senegalese Government, on its part, had responded by offering tax holiday and other incentives to the company. He also promised that the Senegalese Government would protect the company to achieve its optimal production capacity.

    While stating that the Government of the Republic of Senegal was happy with Dangote as the single largest investor in the country, Mr. Cisse urged other African entrepreneurs to emulate the business acumen of

    Dangote. Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, Mrs Katyen Jackden also commended the management of Dangote Cement for its pan-African posture in investment and the host government for its support to the firm. She explained that Dangote has through his investments in African countries built bridges of friendship across nations, fostering unity and integration among African countries.

    She said Dangote Cement has done Nigeria proud with the commencement of production and that she was happy that the cement giant was instantly accepted in the market based on its high quality product and competitive pricing.

    Mrs Jackden said: “Dangote Cement needs all encouragement needed to flourish and my office would be willing to help in that regard because Dangote has proven a worthy Nigerian ambassador in business.” She also thanked the people and government of the French-speaking West African country for the support and opportunity given to a foreign investor like Dangote, stressing that ‘’Dangote has been able to bring cohesion among African nations with his investments.’’

  • Cement producers advise Buhari over price

    The Cement Producers Association of Nigeria (CPAN) has advised the president- elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to take a critical look at the cement sector, arguing that selling the product at N1000 per bag was possible.

    Its Chairman,  Prince David Iweta, lamented that the N2,200  price of cement per bag was too expensive.

    “We wish to use this medium to appeal to you and your government at inauguration to declare a Change of price of cement from N2,200 per bag to N1,000 per bag. “This will serve as the first dividend of Change, which the people of Nigeria voted for,” Iweta said.

    The group said cement industry after the death of President Musa Yar’Adua has witnessed the worst height of price increase, adding that Nigeria is has the highest price of cement in the world.

    He said: “It is worthy of mention that countries that have attained self sufficiency in cement production all over the world sell cement at N500 per bag but in Nigeria where the Federal Government has claimed success in the cement industry and net exporter of cement is selling the commodity at N2,200 per bag.   It is a known fact that all West Africa counties, East, North and South Africa sell cement under N1,000 per bag but in Nigeria, it is selling for N2,200.”

    He said new foreign direct investors are barred from venturing into the Nigeria cement industry since the past six years so that cement price will remain high.

    According to the group, it is in line with international best practice to allow cement importation at the coastal regions for the purpose of cheap cement for such region instead of transporting the products over a long distance by road, one of the factors which has often been blamed for the punitive cost of the product.

    “But in Nigeria the reverse is the case. Cement should be allowed to be imported into Lagos, Warri, Calabar. Even with high degree of infrastructure development in Germany and Iran, cement is allowed to be imported into the coastal areas of these countries because it is cheaper by sea in large volume than by road within same country.

    “But in Nigeria, it is the opposite. Why? The reasons for the above are perpetuated by a single individual that wish to enrich himself enough  to buy the country called Nigeria and dictate the industrial policy of government,” he lamented.

     

  • Dangote ups the ante in cement market

    Dangote ups the ante in cement market

    The $300 million (about N60 billion) Dangote Cement plant in Dakar,Senegal has roared into life, churning out high variety 42.5 cement brand to the delight of consumers. The plant, which runs on cutting-edge technology and innovation, may have spurred a fresh wave of competition in the continent’s cement market. Assistant Editor Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie reports.

    A new wave of competition may have started sweeping through Africa’s cement market. At the heart of the fresh wave of competition ignited by the inauguration of the $300 million (about N60 billion) Dangote Cement plant in Dakar, Senegal, last week, is the deployment of superior technology and innovation to deliver quality cement to consumers.

    “Our edge is the technology we have brought to bear in cement production and the wealth we are creating across the board for the people and government of Senegal,” Country Head of Dangote Cement, Senegal, Mr. Luk Haelterman, said, at the inauguration of the 4, 000 Metric Tons (MT) per day plant located in Pout District of Senegal, about 75 kilometres East of Dakar, the country’s capital.

    Haelterman told a gathering of excited cement consumers, distributors and Senegalese government officials in his welcome address that Dangote Cement offered the best choice for consumers, as it is the only 42.5 grade high quality cement available in the country’s cement market.

    He added that the commencement of production would boost the housing sub sector of the Senegalese building industry. Besides, the plant with a total production capacity of 1.5 million tons annually, would create more than 5, 000 jobs for the locals. He was also quick to note that the entrance of Dangote cement into the Senegal market has altered the equation in the cement market. Haelterman was right. Until Dangote cement hit the market with its superior 42.5 grade cement, the cement market in Senegal was dominated by two existing cement firms, namely Sococim, a French cement company founded in 1948, and CDS. However, while the two initial manufacturers are producing the 32.5 grade cement, which is of a lower quality, Dangote cement came on board with a master stroke, introducing the higher quality 42.5 cement grade that allows for quicker drying for construction professionals. “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”, Haelterman said.

    The quality of cement introduced into the market by Dangote is not the only game changer. Despite coming into an already saturated market, the company also came in with the lowest price in the continent, approximately $5 a bag. With a combination of Damgote’s marketing edge in superior quality and pricing, experts say that the continent’s cement landscape is poised for a major positive change-one that would bring immense benefits to all stakeholders.

    Already, Dangote Cement, The Nation learnt, is targeting the exportation of the product to Mali to the tune of two million tonne, while sales of the product in other neighbouring countries are currently being worked out.

    An exporter,  Mr. Serigne Aramine Mbacke, confirmed this much when he disclosed that he distributes about 40 per cent of Dangote Cement to Mali, Gambia, Code de Voire, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. He said he was motivated to distribute the company’s product because of its quality and profit margin. He also said that with the massive investment, which is the single largest in the Franco-phone country by an African, Dangote has made inroads into several African countries, bringing cohesion in the process. While noting that the state-of-the-art cement plant offers huge employment opportunities for Senegal’s estimated 14 million population, he commended the Senegalese Government for being open to investment that is mutually beneficial.

    A Dangote Cement distributor, Mr. Momodu Ndioye could not hide his excitement over the prospects of high profit margin. He told The Nation in Dakar that the quality of Dangote cement is better than others. Hear him: “My customers have confirmed that the quality of the new entrant into the cement market is better than others. They can mould more blocks with Dangote cement and also make more money because it dries faster. This translates to more profit for us distributors.” Another distributor, Mr. Ibrahim Dirkhabi also confirmed this, noting that because of its quality, the Dangote cement dries faster and makes

    stronger blocks. “It is the toast of builders and others in the construction industry,” he said.

    Apart from superior technology, innovation, and pricing, there are other factors that position Dangote Cement to play a leading role in the continent’s competitive cement sector. For instance, as Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Athanasios Bampos disclosed, Dangote Cement boasts a limestone deposit that can last for 150 years.

    The location of the factory is not only rich in limestone, but also in clay and laterite, which are the major components needed in cement manufacturing. ‘’The only component that we import as a company is gypsum, sold by ICS Chemical Company, a local firm, which is about 45 kilometres from the factory,’’ he added.

    That is not all. The company, according to Bampos, also has captive electricity that produces 30 Megawatts of electricity through the exploitation of coal, the first in the country. He explained that the factory has two production lines though they are using one line for now. “We have 3.6 kilometre conveyor belt, three parking bay and a railway about 1.5 kilometres from the factory. We will not have to contend with the problem of transportation and other logistic problems that have to do with transporting our products to destinations where our customers are located, he added.

    In his presentation, the Company’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Serigne M. Dieng said that Senegal, with 14 million people and a growing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of +4 per cent as at 2013 hasm cement market of three MT pa and consumption rate of 230kg. He expressed satisfaction that Dangote Cement has been accepted immediately it got to the market because of the aggressive awareness strategy embarked upon by the company to introduce the 42.5 grade, which was not known to the majority of customers except a few corporate customers.

    An obviously elated Director of Mines and Geology for Senegal, Mr. Ousmane Cisse, said the $300million factory remains the biggest investment in his country in the last 15 years. He said the massive investment has changed the economy of his country for good. He noted that the company had met all the requirements on key issues of environmental sustainability, good business practice and compliance with regulations, adding that the Senegalese Government, on its part, had responded by offering tax holiday and other incentives to the company. He also promised that the Senegalese Government would protect the company to achieve its optimal production capacity.

    While stating that the Government of the Republic of Senegal was happy with Dangote as the single largest investor in the country, Mr. Cisse urged other African entrepreneurs to emulate the business acumen of

    Dangote. Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, Mrs Katyen Jackden also commended the management of Dangote Cement for its pan-African posture in investment and the host government for its support to the firm. She explained that Dangote has through his investments in African countries built bridges of friendship across nations, fostering unity and integration among African countries.

    She said Dangote Cement has done Nigeria proud with the commencement of production and that she was happy that the cement giant was instantly accepted in the market based on its high quality product and competitive pricing.

    Mrs Jackden said: “Dangote Cement needs all encouragement needed to flourish and my office would be willing to help in that regard because Dangote has proven a worthy Nigerian ambassador in business.” She also thanked the people and government of the French-speaking West African country for the support and opportunity given to a foreign investor like Dangote, stressing that ‘’Dangote has been able to bring cohesion among African nations with his investments.’’

  • Dangote Cement for Cameroun

    Dangote Cement for Cameroun

    DANGOTE Cement bags, the 3x Premium, will be introduced into the Camerounian market in January, a statement from the company said yesterday.

    The General Manager of the Dangote Cement Plant, Baba Abdullahi, an engineer, said this while conducting Cameroonian reporters round the 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum capacity facility in Douala.

    He added that the plant was already being test run, explaining that full production would start next month.

    He said Dangote Cement would be deploying its “state of the art machinery and latest technology from the point of production to delivery to customers.”

    He added that the company was known for employing the best practices in its operation.

    According to him, the entry of Dangote cement in the Cameroonian market would contribute to the growth of the country’s economy.

    According to him, “the management of Dangote cement is upbeat about the prospect of stimulating the construction and housing sectors of the economy of Cameroun.”

    He stated that the country’s cement customers were anxious to buy the cement because the Dangote 3X 42.5 grade would be the first in the market that is produced locally.

  • Cement price rises to N2,200

    Cement price rises to N2,200

    The hope of  construction experts and  cement consumers over a crash in the price of cement was dashed yesterday with a fresh hike in the price of the commodity.

    Some weeks ago, a major cement producer in the country said it had crashed the price of the product to as low as N1,000 eliciting excitement in the construction sector.  Even with the promise, the product was never sold at N1000 anywhere across the country.

    A dealer in the Ibafo area of Ogun State who spoke on condition of anonymity said one of the major manufacturers had indicated that its next consignment would be delivered at N1,900, adding that by the time other variables are added, a bag of the product would get to the final consumer at N2,200.

    To make the product available to customers, the firm said it had set up depots across the nation and also offered opportunity for direct purchase.

  • Suit on cement standard adjourned

    Suit on cement standard adjourned

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned hearing till January 7 in a suit brought by a group, the Alliance Against Monopoly (AAM), against the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), over its directive to cement manufacturers on industry standard.

     Hearing on the matter was stalled due to the absence of SON’s director-general, who is the first defendant.

    The plaintiff’s counsel, Mr. Ogbonnaya Agbafo, accused SON of evading, serving and sought an adjournment to enable him serve the organisation by alternative means.

    It is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining SON and the attorney-general of the federation from enforcing the directive to cement manufacturers on product labelling in a manner that is clearly calculated to stigmatise cement grade 32.5mpa.

    AAM said the proposed new industrial standards on cement was contrary to the spirit and letters of the SON Act and was inimical to the economy, peace and good governance in the society.

    In an originating summons, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that no industrial standard or prescription under the SON Act can be binding on manufacturers unless such standards are duly declared as binding on manufacturers by the Minister of Industries (or Minister in charge of industries) pursuant to Section 16(7) (a)-(c) of the SON Act.

    It is also praying the court to hold that the House of Representatives ad hoc committee has no power to validly perform any of the functions, which are statutorily conferred on and/or reserved for the SON created under Section 3 of the SON Act with its functions clearly spelt out in Section 4(1) (a) – (e) of the said Act.

    The plaintiff said SON’s directive to cement manufacturers on standard arose from the committee’s resolution.

    This, it said, was because it was on the production, use and marketing of that grade of cement that the livelihood, comfort, shelter and peaceful enjoyment of life of the plaintiff’s members, their relatives and neighbours depended.

     The plaintiff is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from embarking on any future act, which may have the effect of enthroning a monopoly in any industry in Nigeria directly or indirectly, which is bound to affect the plaintiff’s members in their individual lives.

    SON, on July 21, gave 60 days ultimatum for cement manufacturers to comply with its directive on product labelling and traceability requirement.

    The directive was perceived by industry stakeholders as not being in their best interest.