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Tag: cement

  • Curbing building collapse through cement standardization

    Curbing building collapse through cement standardization

    Cement is a major component in a building. It is a binding agent and it is also used for blocks, pillars, beams and slabs. Concrete enforcements are composed of iron rods, aggregates, cement, among other materials. This major role played by cement in ensuring structural integrity of a building marks it out as the first culprit in building collapse.

    It was in a bid to curb the spate of building collapse that Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) embarked on certification and standardization of iron rods in the Nigerian market.

    To the consternation of the regulatory body and quite interesting too, investigations have revealed that most structures that are giving way are those that are recently put up while old buildings erected over decades ago are still solidly standing.

    Having achieved the target of eliminating substandard iron rods, the agency now focused on cement which is the major component in building. SON’s efforts at curbing building collapse is through cement classification and uses.

    It is to be noted that prior to the SON’s enlightenment campaign, most Nigerians just thought that ‘cement is cement’, not knowing that there are grades of cement meant for different uses or that cement has a shelf life.

    SON has rolled out guidelines on the cement specification which restricted 32.5 to plastering only, while 42.5 is certified for all purposes and 52.5 for specialized construction and has embarked on a massive public enlightenment to educate the building public on the guidelines.

    One of the most common misapplied materials as stated before is cement which is regarded as a binding agent in building and construction. The SON has come out to clearly differentiate the various grades of cement and their application as opposed to the claim by some of the builders that cement is cement, no matter the grade.

    It was generally believed that if cement is misapplied, then the structure is in danger. Therefore, the cement must be classified so that users would be sure the uses into which each grade of cement could be deployed.

    The three grades of cement commonly produced in Nigeria are 32.5; 42.5 and 52.5 grades. The 52.5 grade is reserved for specialized structures like bridges, flyovers, high rise buildings etc. the 42.5 grade is for general construction purpose while 32.5 which is the least grade has been consigned to plastering use only. The SON has also gone ahead to give each grade colour code for easy identification by the consumers.

    Standardization

    Director General SON Joseph Odumodu speaking on the campaign said, “The enlightenment is very vital as it will enable people to know the right materials to buy when building their houses adding that people build houses to live in safely and not for the house to collapse on them and kill them while those renting their houses out expect returns.”

    He said SON will focus on public enlightenment to enable people know the type of materials to be used for different types of building adding that cement bags are to carry specifications on grade and usage as wrong application of cement has been found to be a key cause of building collapse.

    In the process of ensuring sanity in the building sector, the authorities and stakeholders alike discovered that the construction industry has become all comers affair to the extent that quacks dominate the business space in the industry, low quality building materials are common place while the right applications of vital materials are disregarded.

    Agreeing to the guidelines issued by SON major cement manufacturers have pledged their commitment to align with the position that the 42.5mpa cement grade should be the minimum standard of quality that should be produced in the country.

    Already, cement manufacturing companies such as Bua Cement, Ibeto Cement and Dangote Cement said long before the quality review by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) which pegged the 42.5 grade as being for general purpose use, they have been producing the quality grade.

    It would be recalled that Hon Dogara’s ad-hoc Committee on Cement Composition and pigmentation had after a public hearing from stakeholders submitted its report to the House of Representatives, in which it asked the SON to commence implementation of its cement standardization and that manufacturers should retool their machineries for the production of the higher grade of cement.

    Its recommendation according to the report was based on the fact that if offered the chance of choosing between 32.5 and 42.5 grades of cement, consumers would choose the 42.5 higher grade and that because those employed for building structures are mostly non-professionals it would be in the national interest to adopt a cement grade that is less susceptible to wrong application.

    Chairman of Bua Cement, Abdulsamad Rabiu said that what the House of Reps has done was a patriotic one that should be supported by all manufacturers with the safety and well-being of the people at heart.

    According to him, Bua which operates the oldest cement plant in Nigeria, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) has been producing the higher grade of cement right from the outset and that his company sees nothing wrong with the Reps decision.

    “As a responsible corporate entity, with the interest of the nation and its people at heart, we value the lives of our people more than profit, and therefore support our lawmakers”

    He explained that what cement manufacturers and indeed other stakeholders should do is to cooperate with the SON as the regulating authority so that the menace of structure failures could abate.

     

     

  • Dangote vows to make cement cheapest materials

    Dangote vows to make cement cheapest materials

    • Unveils 32. 5 cement for plastering

    Largest producer of cement in Nigeria, Dangote Cement Plc., has vowed to make cement one of the cheapest construction materials in the country to enable more Nigerians own their houses.

    Its Group Managing Director, Mr. Edwin Devakumar, who spoke at the unveiling of the 32.5 and 3X cement in Lagos, said the company is working assiduously to increase cement production from the current 29 million tons to 42 million tons from its factories across sub-Saharan Africa.

    He said it was part of efforts to meet the aspiration of consumers that made the company to crash ex-factory price of cement to N1,000.

    To ensure that the N1000 price is sustained in the market, the company delivers the product to dealers with its enhanced transportation system. The decision, according to the company, will ensure reduced retail price.

    Devakumar said: “We have also drastically reduced the price of 42.5, which is our premium to N1,150 per bag ex-factory, ex-VAT, for the benefits to trickle down to the consumers. We have enough trucks to deliver cement at the door steps of dealers and consumers.”

    He said the products would henceforth, be delivered at the door steps of consumers in the Southsouth, Southeast and Southwest at N1000 per bag because of the proximity of the factories to these regions, while they will charge N150 per bag in other parts of the country.

    Devakumar said its major priority is to ensure that customers are protected in the distribution chain, assuring that it would put mechanism in place to monitor the sale of the product.

    He expressed optimism that the price reduction will increase per capita consumption of cement in the country, which he noted is currently lower compared to other African countries.

    He said the company is poised to make housing affordable to the majority of Nigerians by not only making cement cheap but accessible to the people.

    He debunked the allegation of monopoly against them by competitors, but rather charged them to put the interest of consumers at heart.

    The Director-General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, urged cement manufacturers to key into the Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS), on cement standardisation as they are determined to pursue quality standards as a regulator in the manufacturing sector.

    Harping on the essence of adhering to the ongoing cement standardisation in the country, Dangote’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Oare Ojiekere said the 32.5 is meant for plastering only and it is lower in grade and quality compared to 42.5 and 52. 5 cement grades.

    He advised consumers to look at the grade and usage inscription on the bags of cement before purchasing them, noting that there are grave consequences of using cement meant for plastering on casting and concrete work.

  • Experts praise reduction of cement price by Dangote

    Experts praise reduction of cement price by Dangote

    EXPERTS have hailed the reduction of cement price by Dangote Cement Plc to N1,000 from N1,800. They said it is a good omen which  would encourage more developments and, by extension, more jobs not only for professionals but artisans who have been out of jobs because of stalled projects. National President, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers (NIStructE), Dr. Samuel Ilugbekhai, said the price reduction is an achievement which would benefit many, directly  and  indirectly.

    He said: “By this singular act of patriotism, cement is being made more available and more affordable for developmental purposes. Coming barely a week after the conference of the Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers (NIStructE) on “The Effect of Cement Strength  on Concrete Performance” where we called on the regulating authorities to lay more emphasis on the manufacturing of cement to ensure that they meet national and international standards,  I am particularly gladdened by this development and I humbly encourage all other cement manufacturers to reduce their prices so that cement will be more affordable to  more Nigerians across the country.”

    President, Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, hailed the price reduction, noting that it was part of their campaign which they recently took to the National Assembly when they presented a position paper to the Upper Legislative Assembly adhoc committee on cement. He said part of their argument was that cement is capable of causing building collapse due to its exorbitant price as builders may be tempted to cut corners.

    Awobodu, who is the third vice president of the Nigerian Institute of Building, canvassed a situation where a bag of cement will not cost more than N800 so that many can afford it. He regretted that the product was more expensive in Nigeria  of all cement producing countries, and hailed the reduction. He encouraged other companies to follow the example of Dangote Cement Plc.

    A town planner and immediate past Secretary General, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON),  Mr. Ayo Adejumo said the reduction in the price of cement will increase activities in the construction sector. He noted the high number of abandoned projects in the country which is tied to high construction cost.

  • Ebola stalls Dangote Cement’s expansion in Sierra Leone

    Ebola stalls Dangote Cement’s expansion in Sierra Leone

    Nigeria’s largest company and the continent’s biggest producer of the building material, Dangote Cement Plc (DANGCEM),  said it is delaying a planned expansion in Sierra Leone due to the Ebola outbreak.

    “Sierra Leone was scheduled to start this month, but we had to put the project on hold. When the crisis abates then we’ll immediately start moving ahead,” its Chief Executive Officer, Devakumar Edwin said on a conference call yesterday.

    Companies have slowed investment in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, the three countries affected by the Ebola outbreak estimated to have killed more than 5,000 people in the sub-region. Dangote Cement’s parent company, Dangote Industries Limited postponed a visiting day for investors in, Lagos, in September amid Ebola fears. Nigeria was declared Ebola-free last month by the World Health Organisation (WO).

    Dangote Cement, controlled by billionaire Chairman Aliko Dangote, expects to have a cement-production capacity of 29 million metric tons in Nigeria by year end. The company plans to expand in 13 other countries on the continent, bringing total capacity to as much as 60 million metric tons by 2016.

    Operations in Cameroon, Senegal and Zambia are set to  begin producing this year, while a plant in Ethiopia will start getting commissioned next month, Edwin said.

    Persistent fuel disruptions to Dangote’s Nigerian plants are expected to ease after gas-supply authorities assured the company they don’t anticipate major disruption within the next six months, according to Edwin. They said supply would come from producers including Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Exxon Mobil Corp., he said.

    Nigeria sale volumes were down one per cent to 9.8 million tons in the nine months through September, the company said Oct. 31.

    Its group profit for the period fell 10 per cent to N140.5 billion ($844 million) even as revenue climbed 7.3 per cent to N310.2 billion.

    “The gas-supply was a major constraining factor,” Edwin said. The authorities “have reviewed the pipeline integrity, the condition of the gas treatment stations, including the major scheduled maintenance which they have undertaken in the recent past.”

    Dangote Cement’s share price has declined 4.6 per cent this year to N208.89, compared with the 13 per cent drop of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index.

  • Experts praise reduction of cement price by Dangote

    Experts praise reduction of cement price by Dangote

    Experts have hailed the reduction of cement price by Dangote Cement Plc to N1,000 from N,800. They said it is a good omen which  would encourage more developments and, by extension, more jobs not only for professionals but artisans who have been out of jobs because of stalled projects.

    National President, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers (NIStructE), Dr. Samuel Ilugbekhai,said the price reduction is an achievement which would benefit many, directly  and  indirectly.

    He said: “By this singular act of patriotism, cement is being made more available and more affordable for developmental purposes. Coming barely a week after the conference of the Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers (NIStructE) on “The Effect of Cement Strength  on Concrete Performance” where we called on the regulating authorities to lay more emphasis on the manufacturing of cement to ensure that they meet national and international standards,  I am particularly gladdened by this development and I humbly encourage all other cement manufacturers to reduce their prices so that cement will be more affordable to  more Nigerians across the country.“

    President, Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, hailed the price reduction, noting that it was part of their advocacy campaign which they recently took to the National Assembly when they presented a position paper to the Upper Legislative Assembly adhoc committee on cement.

    He said part of their argument was that cement is capable of causing building collapse due to its exorbitant price as builders may be tempted to cut corners.

    Awobodu, who is the third vice president of the Nigerian Institute of Building, canvassed a situation where a bag of cement will not cost more than N800 so that many can afford it.

    He regretted that the product was more expensive in Nigeria  of all cement producing countries, and hailed the reduction. He encouraged other companies to follow the example of Dangote Cement Plc.

    A town planner and immediate past Secretary General, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Mr. Ayo Adejumo said the reduction in the price of cement will increase activities in the construction sector. He noted the high number of abandoned projects in the country which is tied to high construction cost. He predicted a situation where their will increased activities for the professionals and artisans in the sector in the next two or three months.

    He said the overall effect of the price reduction will boost the over all economy and also lift the manufacturing sector.

  • BUA chair supports cement price reduction

    BUA chair supports cement price reduction

    The Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, has thrown expressed support for the Dangote cement reduction on the cost of unit bag of cement to N1000, a 40 per cent price cut which was announced yesterday.

    Rabiu said he has always been concerned about the high cost of cement in the country and has always advocated for a reduction of the cost so that more Nigerians could have access to the product and realise their dream of owning their own houses.

    He said: “It is against this background that I commend Alhaji Aliko Dangote for this patriotic initiative which is long overdue.”

    He said he held extensive discussion with Aliko on this issue in a telephone conversation last weekend and  encouraged him on the initiative.

    “What Aliko 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 the price being low, it will result in more consumers buying the product which will drive up volume and increase market share for all stakeholders.

    “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. While it is true that we have infrastructural challenges it is not so much as to make the cost of cement so expensive.

    “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.”

    He insisted that there was really no reason for cement to cost more then N1000 per bag, bearing in mind the massive success of the backward integration policy which implementation commenced 12 years ago. He said tens of billions of dollars has been directly and indirectly injected into the  cement industry with Dangote cement accounting for more of this.

    He said this has seen cement’s national productivity rising from a mere 2.2 million tonnes to over 30 million tonnes.

    He said: “BUA group acquired the Edo State Cement Company three years ago and has pumped over $500 million in putting up a greenfield, 3 million tonnes per annum plant deploying the latest technology in cement production. The plant is billed to be commissioned in the first quarter of next year. From its 500, 000 tonnes capacity annual production to 3.5 million tonnes per annum.”

     

  • Dangote crashes cement price

    Dangote crashes cement price

    •A bag now N1,000

    A leading cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc, has announced cuts in the prices of the product, a development seen as likely to make cement cheaper than it has ever been since 2005.

    The new price regime announced by its Group Managing Director, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, indicated that the Dangote 32.5 cement grade is now pegged at N1,000 per 50-kilogramme bag, while the higher 42.5 grade is to sell for N1,150 per bag.

    The new prices – exclusive of the Value Added Tax (VAT) – represent about 40 per cent discount on the prevailing market price of the product, which is being sold for N1,700 irrespective of the grade, across the country.

    Edwin, in a statement yesterday, said the move was in line with the company’s commitment to the nation’s dire need for the development of infrastructure and to boost the federal and state government’s efforts to reduce the about 20 million housing deficit in Africa’s largest economy.

    The statement added: “We recognise the need for a dramatic increase in the response to the huge infrastructure and housing deficit in the country, and one of the ways of addressing the issue is bringing the price of building materials down to much more affordable levels, especially cement, as part of our own contribution to the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration and the attainment of key milestones in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”.

    The statement claimed that since the begin of the implementation of the backward integration policy for cement in the country over 12 years ago, the local production capacity of the product rose from less than two million metric tonnes per annum to about 38 million metric tonnes per annum today.

    It added that during the over 12 years’ period of the policy, over $20 billion was directly and indirectly injected into the industry with Dangote Cement Plc accounting for 60 per cent of the amount.

    Edwin also noted that the company would continue to ensure alignment of its corporate social responsibility with its strategic business initiatives and also evaluate its pricing regime in Nigeria’s best interest.

    In compliance with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s (SON) directive and regulation on the various grades of cement and their prescribed uses, Dangote cement launched its brand of the premium 32.5 cement grade, which has been restricted to plastering use only.

    The country’s largest cement producer noted that the move was to develop a full bouquet of cement types to meet the varying needs of consumers for the different grades of cement.

    The company, with this move, now produces 42.5 for column casting, block making, decking and other general purpose construction work that require high strength, while also producing the 32.5 grade for rendering or plastering.

    Following the price reduction, the National President of the Block Moulders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Rasidi Adebowale, said he received the news with happiness, especially on what the price reduction holds for his members in Nigeria. He expressed the hope that the new price review would translate to reduction in the price of blocks.

    Also, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Architect Bruno Niyi hailed the decision and urged the management of the company to sustain the new price regime and ensure it was not hijacked by profiteers.

  • BUA Group votes N79b for new cement plant

    BUA International Limited has voted N79 billion ($500million) for its new cement plant at Obu,  Okpela, Edo State. its Executive Director, Projects and Technical,  Yusuf Binji, has said.

    He stated that the firm has also taken over  the  Edo Cement, as well as the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, in addition to another $60million investment in  gas turbines to power the factory.

    He said the company has taken advantage of  Federal Government’s backward integration policy to increase the capacity of local cement manufacturing and by extension making the nation self-sufficient in cement production.

    Binji said the new plant in Okpela, Edo State, is technologically advanced and modern  with a capacity to produce  three million metric tones  of cement per annum when it becomes operational in first quarter of next year, adding that the company is deploying the best technology in the sector to the three plants the firm is running to sustain its position as the market leader.

    He said: “Our coming into the market with total production capacity of over six million metric tons from our three factories will crash the price of cement and availability of the product to the end users, this is our primary target.

    “By the time we complete our power projects that is over $60 million, we will have about 50 megawatts (Mw) to power the factory and to give our host community if the need arises”.

    On the new Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) for cement manufacturers which insists on clear labeling and standardisation of the different grades of cement with compulsion to print on each cement bag, unique colour stripes to differentiate the various grades the grade and its application before it gets to the market, Binji said the facilities are equipped with a batch enabling machine.

    He said:  “Our plant will fully comply with all the SON’s regulations in terms of identification and traceability. The requirements make for competitiveness and quality which is not only in the interest of the manufacturer but also for consumers.”

    He said manufacturers are confronted with the challenge of power, water and even access roads to the plants.

    The BUA chief said: “Currently, we are building roads leading to our quarries and all these roads will also be used by the community; we are also building a modern hospital and doing a lot of Community Service Rela

  • Block makers hail Dangote on cement standard

    Block makers hail Dangote on cement standard

    Block moulders have hailed Dangote Cement Plc for its leading role in enlightening stakeholders in the building and construction industry on cement standardisation and other allied products undertaken by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    President of the North zone of the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON), Alhaji Rasheed Adebowale, spoke at the weekend at the Obajana cement plant of the company after a tour of the facility by the members of the national association.

    He noted that Dangote Cement’s efforts would create the desired awareness on how members of the association would always ensure better quality for the blocks they make.

    The union leader said NABMON would remain grateful to Dangote Cement for enlightening block moulders throughout the country to enable them understanding how quality blocks could be produced.

    Adebowale decried the spate of building collapse and regretted that the blocks his colleagues made were the first of the items in building that people usually point accusing fingers at.

    The NABMON president noted that Dangote Cement’s enlightenment would enable the members to make stronger blocks.

    He said in line with NABMON’s motto of “Quality is our goal,” quality and zero tolerance for using poor and substandard materials to mould blocks remained topmost in the association’s agenda.

    Adebowale said: “We are grateful to Dangote Cement. We have a better understanding of how blocks are produced and what it takes to produce quality blocks. The presentation afterwards have also revealed to us why it is not in our interest to produce substandard blocks that would later give way and cause loss of lives and property.”

    Dangote Cement’s Sales Director for the Northwest, Obasola Alo said the company was creating a platform for stakeholders to be happy in their business.

  • More Dangote Cement coming

    More Dangote Cement coming

    The management of Dangote Cement Company said yesterday that it would release 29 million tons of 42.5R grade cement into the market before December.

    The Regional Manager (Safety), Johnson Olaniyi, said this at a facility tour and seminar organised for building block makers at the Obajana plant in Kogi State.

    He allayed fears of scarcity of cement in the market, saying the company has stepped up production of the 42.5R grade.

    “Dangote Cement is making a minimum of 1million storage capacity of the 42.5R cement at its depot nationwide.

    “We are also making delivery easy through our new three approaches of self-collection, depot and home delivery. So, the issue of scarcity of the 42.5R cement will never arise.”

    He said the 42.5R cement would address  building collapse in the country, adding that the 42.5R cement is better for block molding and the 32.5R cement for plastering.

    The National Chairman of Block Makers Association of Nigeria (BMAN), Rashidi Adebowola, said the facility tour was to acquaint members on the art of making cement.