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Tag: cement

  • Cement standardisation: What’s in it for consumers?

    Cement standardisation: What’s in it for consumers?

    Even before the dust raised by the new standard for cement finally settles down, the policy, which pitched the regulatory authorities against some manufacturers, has opened more latitude and prerogative of choice to consumers. It has also drawn attention to grey areas hitherto neglected in the nation’s quest to find lasting solution to construction failures and building collapse, Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie reports.

    Until recently, the level of consumer awareness in Nigeria’s burgeoning building and construction industry remained abysmally low. It could not have been otherwise. The industry was an all-comers affair, parading mostly non-professionals in building and construction. Low quality building materials were also common place, while the right application of vital raw materials was disregarded. In most cases, materials particularly cement, are misapplied. Yet, cement is the binding agent, constituting over 60 per cent of the components in building and construction, according to experts.

    Because of the low level of awareness of builders, block moulders, masons, artisans, and others directly involved in building and construction, knowledge of the various grades of cement and their application was not a priority. As far as some of the builders are concerned, cement is cement, no matter the grade. The fact that there were no means of identification of the various grades of cement in the market compounded their problem.

    Consumers of cement products were no less confused. Most of them were not even aware of the variety in grades, standards and specific applications of cement. What most people are aware of are the brand names, whereas the grades or standards are equally important.Using a lower grade of cement where a higher grade ought to have been used was common place due to ignorance on the part of consumers and artisans as well as greed. “This ignorance has led to the misapplication of cement by many users and for reasons of personal gain, some people may just utilise one bag when more bags are actually required,” the Director General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, noted, at a recent forum.

    But things are changing, and quickly too. Today, consumers know what grade of cement they are buying, its most appropriate application, average shelf life, who manufactured it, and how it should be stored. They know that each grade of cement is used for a specific purpose, depending largely on the compressive strength they desire. For instance, while the 32.5 grade is exclusively for plastering, the 42.5 grade is used for casting of beams, slabs, and block moulding. The 52.5 grade, on the other hand, is used for construction of hard infrastructure projects like bridges, flyovers, high rise buildings, and other specialised applications. The increasing consumer awareness is believed to be one of the dividends of the recent review of cement standard by SON.

    The standard regulatory/enforcement agency recently came out with a policy that reviewed the standard of cement, classified it into three grades of 32.5, 42.5 and 52.5 and stipulated their exclusive uses. The move was part of efforts towards eliminating the menace of building collapse. In coming out with the new policy, SON’s technical committee consulted widely with stakeholders from all sectors including the Nigeria Society of Engineers (COREN), Universities, researchers, builders, block makers towards fashioning a suitable cement standard regime. The stakeholders agreed to streamline cement types, with the aforementioned grades.

    Consequently, SON warned members of the public to adhere strictly to the stipulated application of cement types and save the nation the embarrassment of incessant structure failures. In handing down the warning, Odumodu however, clarified that there are no substandard cements in the country. He said the challenge was more of misapplication of cement rather than the quality of cement used. The DG informed audience at a recent ‘Stakeholders Forum’ in Abuja that the agency was determined to ensure standards because the several incidences of building collapse in the country has gotten to an embarrassing level.

    “A recent test conducted on cement blocks in Nigeria, especially the load bearing ones, made a revelation that only five per cent of the blocks met the specifications of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS 587 of 2007). “We believe that any factor that contributed in any way to building collapse should be addressed. Load bearing blocks happen to be one of them and that is what we are addressing”, Odumodu said.

    Although, there is no compelling evidence yet linking poor quality cement to the increasing menace of building collapse, the consensus of industry experts is that sticking to the new classification of cement based on their exclusive uses would, at least, narrow the search for the causes of building collapse to other factors. What SON is doing therefore, is to eliminate any possibility of building collapse that might arise from the misapplication of cement.

    The agency took the campaign to eliminate opportunity for product misuse by giving cement manufacturers 60-days window to ensure that cement bags carry proper product information such as batch number, expiry date, and colour code. Today, consumers can differentiate the various grades of cement by their unique colour stripes, namely blue for 32.5 grade; yellow for 42.5 grade and red for 52.5. Unlike in the past when there were no means of identification, the review mandates manufacturers to clearly label the grade on the cement bags and their applications before they get to the market.

    While the batch number was to enhance product traceability, the expiry date was necessary because components of are chemicals that do expire. For one, this has boosted consumers’ confidence, even as the increased patronage is expected to lead to increased capacity utilisation. Experts also say that expansion in commercial activities with regards to cement manufacturing will lead to job creation. Besides, the new regime would enhance the cement industry’s global competitiveness. Apart from providing export opportunities to cement produced locally, it will enhance foreign exchange earning in addition to boosting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

    Despite the obvious positive spin-offs of cement standardisation, the policy has not gone down well with some manufacturers, most of who argue that the move would not only lead to increase in the price of cement, but also result in its scarcity. Some of them argue that it would be difficult for some manufacturers to respond to the new requirement in the production lines. Those advancing this position include Lafarge WAPCO, United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) and Ashaka Cement. They are kicking that restricting the use of 32.5 grade of cement to plastering only amounts to an indirect ban on the product, which they say, is unacceptable.

    However, while some manufacturers are kicking, cement giant Dangote Cement has since announced its readiness to comply 100 per cent with SON’s new regulation. The companyonly produced the higher grades of 42.5 and 52.5 from all its three plants in Obajana, Kogi state; Gboko, Benue state; and Ibese in Ogun state. while Dangote has 42.5 as its lower grade, some other competitors only produce 32.5 grade and sold at almost the same price as Dangote’s higher grade. This prompted the company’s distributors and customers who have been enjoying its top range products to clamour for more range of products.

    Partly in a bid to offer consumers alternatives for various construction needs, and partly in full compliance with the directive of SON on the various grades of cement and their prescribed uses, Dangote cement announced plans to launch its brand of the premium 32.5 cement grade. According to the Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement, Devakumar Edwin, the 32.5 grade, which has the lowest strength among the various cement products will be priced lower than the others and will be selling at N200 lower than the price of the higher strength 42.5 grade. “This in addition offers our numerous customers and end users the prerogative of choice and its appropriate application,” he said, at a media briefing in Lagos.

    The new product, which has been branded ‘Dangote Cement 1X’, Edwin stated, was in response to popular demand from the customers as well as in full compliance with the SON directive encouraging production of all grades of cement but with clear labelling on the use. He noted that the entrance of the 32.5 cement grade from Dangote would ensure that the consumer pays the appropriate price for the right value rather than paying more for lower grade as is presently the case in the market. He said the 32.5 cement grade would be clearly marked in the colour prescribed by SON with the uses for which it should be applied, which is purely for plastering.

    The company also announced that it was significantly increasing the supply of cement to the market. This must be music in the ears of consumers. For one, the enhancement in supply of the product to the market is expected to result to a reasonable reduction in the price of the product. Dangote cement also raised the adrenalin of consumers following Edwin’s disclosure that its nationwide campaign and capacity building, which it initiated and has sustained for the past three years to ensure that the different grades of cement are easily identified by users and used only for their prescribed purposes, would be intensified.

    It was not an empty promise. The cement giant had since embarked on an aggressive enlightenment programme on several radio stations across the country  to educate and inform the public on the benefits of using  Dangote 42.5 3X Cement in their construction works. The enlightenment programme and public awareness campaign, according to the Director, Sales & Marketing, Dangote cement, Mr. Chux Mogbolu had become necessary as research has shown that most cement users in Nigeria cannot differentiate between the various grades of cement and their uses hence leading to application of lower cement grade where higher grade cement  should have been used. Mogbolu said that because of the abysmal level of knowledge among artisans, block makers, masons and other craftsmen in the building industry, use of 32.5 grade cement in block making and house building has resulted in several cases of building collapse. He insisted that 32.5 be restricted to plastering and finishing. The Director enjoined the public to always buy Dangote cement, as they will be buying peace of mind and will build with peace of mind. He added that the quality of products from the cement company ensures that customers always come back why the goods do not come back. On its part, SON has also intensified its enlightenment programme. The agency has been organising workshops to sensitize builders, block moulders, artisans etc on acceptable practices such as use of the right type and quality of building materials. Formal trainings are being organised block moulders and artisans to orient them on quality practice and safety standards in the industry, while equipping them with requisite skills and knowledge. Consumers and members of the public are also benefiting from the agency’s active engagement of the media, as well as collaboration with industry groups, trade associations, and partner agencies.

  • CCNN begins $300m cement plant expansion

    Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) Plc has launched a $300 million expansion project to modernise and increase the capacity of its 30-year old cement plant.

    The expansion project, estimated at about N48 billion, would increase the company’s installed capacity by 200 per cent to 1.5 million metric tonnes. The take-off fund for the expansion was provided by BUA International Limited, which holds 50.72 per cent equity stake in CCNN through its wholly-owned subsidiary-Damnaz Cement Company.

    The expansion is part of the ongoing modernisation and cost optimisation programme aimed at reducing average cost and enhancing productive capacity with a view to ensuring that CCNN remained competitive in the cement industry.

    There are indications that the company may subsequently float supplementary equity issue to refinance its capital structure and provide long-term funds necessary for such long-term expansion project.

    President, BUA International Limited and chairman, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN), Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, confirmed the commencement of the expansion project, said the core investor sourced the funds for the expansion for CCNN.

    According to him, after considering all the options, the core investors decided to jumpstart the expansion plan given its strategic importance to competitiveness of the cement company. It should be recalled that CCNN had earlier secured shareholders’ approval to raise new funds of about N45 billion but it was unable to float equity issue due to the lingering investors’ apathy at the primary issue market.

    Rabiu said expansion was the highpoint of the competitive strategy of the cement company, noting that in spite of the high quality of its cement, bigger cement companies pose threats to CCNN’s market share.

    In a chat with The Nation, managing director, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN), Mr. Alf Karlsen, said the increase in installed capacity would enable the company to maintain its current market share and expand into new markets.

    He noted that CCNN is currently the major supplier of cement in the Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara axis adding that the high quality of its cement brand has enabled the company to maintain the lead within its niche market.

    He assured shareholders that CCNN would remain competitive and make good returns to investors as it implements various initiatives to boost capacity and reduce cost.

    CCNN last month distributed N880 million as cash dividends to shareholders, implying a dividend per share of 70 kobo. The dividend payment came on the heels of sustained improvements in the company’s fundamentals.

    Audited and emerging earnings reports of CCNN had indicated significant improvements in actual and underlying returns of the cement-manufacturing company. Audited report and accounts of CCNN for the year ended December 31, 2013 had shown that a more efficient cost management and appreciable growth in sales underpinned substantial growth in profit and returns to shareholders. Gross and pre-tax profit margins improved from 28.1 per cent and 10.9 per cent in 2012 to 31.8 per cent and 12.5 per cent respectively in 2013.

    While sales had grown by 4.4 per cent, declines in cost of sales and finance expenses as well as containment of the operating expenses impacted positively on the bottom-line. Besides, the report also showed considerable improvements in financing structure and liquidity, providing a positive balance sheet support that enabled top-line performance to trickle down into substantial earnings to shareholders. The company halved its gearing ratio and further increased equity funding just as liquidity improved to a new high.

    The profit outlook of the company improved appreciably during the year with both actual and underlying profitability ratios showing corresponding performance. Underlying profitability indices showed a generally positive outlook. Gross profit margin improved from 28.1 per cent in 2012 to 31.8 per cent in 2013. Average pre-tax profit per every unit of sales increased from about 10.9 per cent to 12.5 per cent. Return on total assets improved from 11.6 per cent to 13.1 per cent. Return on equity was steady at 15.7 per cent.

    The underlying performance reflected the improvements in the operations and productivity of the company as well as increase in its cost management. Total sales reached a new high at N15.8 billion in 2013 compared with N15 billion in 2012. Cost of sales meanwhile slipped marginally from N10.88 billion to N10.77 billion. Gross profit thus rose by 18 per cent from N4.24 billion to N5.02 billion. Operating expense was curtailed at N3.64 billion in 2013 as against N3.40 billion in 2012. While non-core business income dropped by 22 per cent from N958 million to N743 million, the reduction in interest expenses counterbalanced the negative effect. Finance expenses dropped to N147 million as against N152.

    With all these, profit before tax rose by 19.2 per cent to N1.97 billion in 2013 as against N1.65 billion in 2012. Profit after tax also grew by 19.1 per cent to N1.42 billion compared with N1.20 billion in the previous year. Basic earnings per share thus improved from 95 kobo to N1.13.

    Also, emerging earnings reports for the current business year have shown a stronger upward growth trajectory. Interim report and accounts of CCNN for the six-month period ended June 30, 2014 showed that sales rose by seven per cent in first half 2014 to N9.39 billion as against N8.81 billion recorded in corresponding period of 2013. Profit before tax almost doubled from N1.22 billion to N2.34 billion. Profit after tax showed similar performance, rising from N832.1 million in first half 2013 to N1.59 billion in first half 2014.

  • Dangote increases cement supply

    Dangote increases cement supply

    Dangote Cement has assured Nigerians that the high price of cement will soon be over.

    The company said it had concluded plans to increase its production in three key plants in the country and simplify its distribution network to crash the price and make the products available to Nigerians.

    President of Dangote Group Alhaji Aliko Dangote said the company had concluded plans to expand the capacity of its production lines at Obajana, Kogi State; Gboko, Benue State and Ibese, Ogun State, from 19.25 million metric tonnes (MMT) by additional 9 million tonnes by the end of the year.

    Dangote also said the expansion would move the production output of the three manufacturing plants to about 28 million tonnes, which would make the company the biggest cement production entity in Africa.

    The foremost industrialist said the company’s management would engage the operators of the trucks conveying the products to circulation points across the country to make them available everywhere and to reduce the price.

    This method, he said, would ensure an effective and efficient distribution of the company’s products.

    On the production of the new 42.5 grade of cement, Dangote said the move was borne out of the quest to prevent further building collapse and its attendant loss of lives.

    According to him, the investment in the grade of cement will enable Nigerians to access world-class cement, which would ensure the durability of the houses the cement would be built with.

    Dangote explained that before investing in the new grade of cement, companies manufacturing cement in the country were only involved in the production of 32.5 grade of cement, although they had the capacity to step up to the production of the 42.5 grade.

  • ‘Why we adopted 42.5 cement grade’

    ‘Why we adopted 42.5 cement grade’

    The Chairman, Technical Committee on cement standards, Prof Innocent Onyeyili, has explained why the committee opted for the 42.5 grade of cement.

    He said it is better than the 32.5 grade and could reduce building collapse.

    Onyeyili, a professor of Structural Engineering, spoke with reporters in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    He also said quackery was another factor to be eliminated if buildings are to last long like those built during the colonial days.

    He lamented the failure of regulatory bodies to keep unqualified builders out of their jobs, and the non-use of professionals to execute construction jobs, poses a bigger challenge for the industry.

    “All sorts of people have come into the building industry because of the money, but it takes a registered building engineer to interpret designs and to discover mistakes in a design and to use cement and other materials correctly,’’ he said.

    Noting that there is a preponderance of quacks in the industry, Onyeyili said the development is thriving because those saddled with  checking projects or construction sites, have neglected their duties.

    “We have regulatory bodies but the people should not sit in the office dishing out instructions; they should be on the field to check. The government has set up its machinery for the industry; the problem is  follow-up. The Federal Government official in Abuja is not the one to follow-up the execution of projects in a local government’s jurisdiction. The local government should ensure that projects in their area are done to specifications,” he said.

    Onyeyili regretted that artisans, who might have worked on many  projects, sees themselves as structural or civil engineers, and therefore believe that they are can determine the right mix for building materials, such as concrete. He said  artisans recommend a bag of cement for eight head pans of sand and 12 head pans of gravel to give a reinforced concrete. He said this is wrong, adding that the minimum grade of concrete for reinforced concrete is one bag of cement to four head pans of sand and eight head pans of gravel.

    “That’s why you touch some beams and some columns (the so-called reinforced concrete structures) and you see them peeling off. Why won’t such building collapse?” he asked.

    He defended his committee’s recommendations on the 42.5 grade of cement as having been made only in the national interest.

    He argued that the decision of his committe was based on the fact that  when the 42.5 grade of cement is used, the incidents of building collapse would reduce.

    He said the 42.5 grade of cement could be an export money spinner.

    “If we produce the 32.5 grade, other countries won’t buy it from us, but if we produce the 42.5 grade, they will buy and when they buy, the manufacturer will be able to increase his production; to employ more people and the more people have jobs, the more people are rich. So, export of cement will bring in more wealth for distribution among Nigerians, ” he said.

  • The cement war rages

    The cement war rages

    Some ‘powerful forces’ representing certain multinational interests are said to be set to frustrate plans for a higher cement grade by blackmailing the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). Assistant Editor Chikodi Okereocha reports.

    The Director-General (DG) of  the Standards  Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, is under intense pressure to soft pedal on the  upgrade of cement directive.

    Odumodu appears free from  importers and manufacturers of sub-standard products. Those on his neck are powerful forces opposed to the introduction of new guidelines and standards for cement.

    The SON to  sanitise the building and construction industry, formulated a policy to review the standard of cement, classified it into three grades and stipulated their uses.

    The policy, which was okayed by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, classified cement into  32.5, 42.5 and 52.5 grades. While restricting the use of the 32.5 grade to plastering of structures, the policy recommended that the 42.5 grade be used in construction of buildings, beams, load bearing columns, pillars, block moulding and other structures. The 52.5 grade is recommended for the construction of bigger projects, such as bridges, flyovers and high rise buildings.

    The guidlines pegged the product’s standard at NIS 444-1-2014, which is the new criterion for cement.

    SON also released 10 testing standards as national requirements for the product in the country.

    The review, according to SON, incorporated information on application of the various grades of cement as well as additional information and features on cement bags. The features/information include: colour code for proper identification according to strength and class. The coloured part of the bag with the labelling information should take one-third of the bag surface on both sides. While the location, or address of manufacturer, batch number and expiry date must be stated on the cement.

    The  guidelines and standards, however,  did not go down well with some importers and manufacturers, particularly those importing, or producing the 32.5 grade. They are insisting that it would not only lead to increase in the price of the product, but result in its scarcity.

    Some of them argued that it would be difficult for some manufacturers to respond to the new requirement in the production lines.Those advancing this position include Lafarge WAPCO, United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) and Ashaka Cement. To them, restricting the use of 32.5 grade to plastering  amounts to its ban.

    However, it is not their hard line position against the policy that is giving observers serious cause for concern; rather, it is the way they are campaigning to force SON to submission.

    Although the so-called powerful forces, allegedly representing certain multinational interests, have dragged SON to court over the issue, there are fears that the same forces may have included blackmail and intimidation to their list of strategies to cow the agency. Added to this is feeling that they may have enlisted the support of unions and organisations outside the industry to advance their course.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), for instance, may have been sold the dummy that the new guideline on cement would lead to job losses as they have joined the fray.

    In a statement, its President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the review “portends danger to the fragile economy”.

    He said: “The government should avoid manipulations that would eventually harm our collective aspirations for society that benefits the populace and not individual interests.

    “The combination of the West Africa Portland Cement, UNICEM, Sokoto Cement, Ashaka Cement, Purechem and others that are presently surviving the hardship unleashed on the productive manufacturing sector in Nigeria, have thousands of people in their employ, which is scandalously too inadequate for an industry that is key to infrastructural development in a country with a population above 160 million.”

    The NLC accused SON of carrying out “orchestrated campaigns that incidents of building collapse in different parts of the country occur simply because the quality of cement currently in use in the country is not the 42, 5 type.”

     SON has, however, responded that it would not join issues with the Labour. The agency, however, said it had become pertinent to state that unseen hands had erroneously convinced the Labour over the implications of the  guidelines and standard grades for cement.

    To SON, the involvement of labour was part of the plot to vilify and discredit the agency. The organisation believes that as a government agency, it must not shirk its responsibility or seen to be intimidated or cowed by anybody.

    “Why should companies and firms dictate to a government agency how it should be regulated? It has never happened in other climes,” a policy analyst argued.

    According to the expert, who declined to be mentioned, what is curious is the fact that SON, in its determination to ensure that it carried all stakeholders along, decided to give the manufacturers enough grace period before monitoring and enforcing the new regime.

    The agency, he said, as part of its statutory work, invited all cement manufacturers in Nigeria to a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in Lagos. At the meeting, it was resolved that in line with the implementation of the new standard NIS 444-1: 2014, new guidelines are to be followed.

    The guidelines include: a 60-day frame for cement manufacturing firms to inscribe manufacturing and expiry dates on cement bags; best before use dates as well as batch numbers on their products.

    All adverts by cement producers, SON directed, must be cleared with the agency before they could be run. Also, all claims in adverts on the integrity of products and conformity requirements are to be cross-checked by the agency before they are aired or printed.

    Besides, storage facilities of cement firms must meet the stipulated standards required for the product (dry cold).

    Sources close to the meeting told The Nation that representatives include Dangote Cement, Lafarge WAPCO, Unicem, Ashaka cement, Ibeto, Sokoto and Pukemcem. They promised to support SON to ensure that the guidelines are adhered to.

    The General Manager, Operations, Lafarge, Larry Opakunle, observed that more time was needed for Lafarge to install the new technology.

    At the meeting, Odumodu explained why SON opted for the guidelines for cement. According to him, the regime is necessitated by the need to ensure public safety and best practices.

    According to him, SON came up with the policy because of the safety of consumers most of who have had to bear the brunt of the rising cases of collapsed structures in the country. The new guidelines, he said, would allow end-users make the right choice, help to avoid unethical application of the different types of cement; enhance proper identification of the different cement classes for traceability as well as to guide the users.

    “I have a responsibility to ensure public safety. We need to ensure that ethical standards are applied in products usage; we also need to act in the best interest of the country, because people have died, people are still dying due to the problem of building collapse. We must, therefore, take corrective and preventive measures,” he said.

    Odumodu made the clarification that the agency has not banned the production of 32.5 grade of cement, saying it has only limited its use to plastering of structures. He said cement firms, including Lafarge WAPCO only needed to increase their production capacity of the 32.5 grade to rse market output and retain staff.

    He allayed the fear of possible loss of jobs due to the new standards, describing it as unfounded and misguided. He also dismissed the recent claim by Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) that it did not have a component laboratory for determining cement quality.

    SON, according to Odumodu, has put measures in place including a task force to effectively ensure compliance when the new cement regime kicks off.

    It would recalled that as part of efforts at eliminating the menace of building collapse, the agency embarked on the standardisation of the basic inputs in building and construction such as iron and steel, roofing materials. Having enforced standardisation in other building inputs, the agency set out to review cement standard by adopting a holistic approach to ensure that standards are maintained in all spheres of the building process.

    SON’s technical committee  consulted widely with stakeholders from all sectors including COREN; Universities; Research Institutes; builders; consumer associations; Block Molders Association of Nigeria and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), among others, who participated in the activities leading to the review of the cement standards.

    All the stakeholders agreed to streamlining cement types, with 42.5 grade for general purposes, while 32.5 will be restricted to plastering. The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Public Investigative Hearing on the Composition and Pigmentation of Cement (Cement Quality) in Nigeria, headed by Hon. Yakubu Dogara, recommended that only 42.5 grade should be produced to tackle  building collapse. The House subsequently asked SON to enforce the measure.

  • Of cement and building collapse

    SIR: The spate of building collapse in the country and the attendant devastation that comes with it is not only worrisome but also calls for urgent national attention. The rate at which they happen and the shabby attention accorded them by those supposedly in-charge has compelled one to ask if there exists any building code or regulatory agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring standards in the construction/building sector.

    It took a petition by a coalition of civil society and professional groups in the construction industry for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)to rise up to their responsibilities. The petitioners alleged that the use of 32.5 cement grade in construction works was responsible for incessant building collapse across the country. The SON quickly set up a technical committee to look at the existing grades of cement and to recommend the best for the overall good of the nation. The committee had members drawn from relevant stakeholders in the cement business chain, construction and building industry. In the end, the committee recommended the use of 42.5 cement grade.

    One wonders why it is the case of cement grade that has caught the fancy of the SON and the House of Representatives. As a matter of fact, neither cement nor its grade causes building collapse because it is a minute component in the entire building construction process. The committee set up by SON and the House of Representatives ought to have painstakingly taken a holistic view and factor in other variables responsible for building collapse before arriving at its recommendations. The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) were of the position that cement as a water based binder and common ingredient in building construction does not stand in isolation or independent of other materials for they are jointly mixed together to form vital components of a building structure. Standing at different strategic locations in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world are many historical edifices built over decades and centuries ago with 32.5 cement grade.

    In fact, a whole lot of ignored factors have brought the building industry down on its knees. First, is the issue of quackery in the building industry. Many incompetent individuals who have no business in the construction industry are actively in the lead. Second is the flagrant abuse of building code, ethics and standards. End users of building products for reasons connected with lets’ make do with what we have syndrome and personal gains compromise standards. Third, the nation lacks standard laboratories for testing and appraising locally produced and imported building materials. In fact, CORENhasinformed the nation that;”SON, which is the regulatory agency for setting standard for cement in Nigeria, has no competent and functional laboratory for determining cement quality”. Some companies have taken advantage of this lacuna with the collaboration of unscrupulous individuals to import sub-standard products at the expense of the nation.

    Fourth, there is little or no awareness and enlightenment of Nigerians as to the kinds of cement grades we have, their suitable usages and how to identify them. Presently, most Nigerians cannot differentiate between 32.5 and 42.5 cement grade.

    This is a clarion call to SON, stakeholders in the construction and building industry, and indeed all Nigerians to as a matter of urgency step up action against building collapse before it consumes all of us. The ongoing effort at revamp the building sector should not be segmented. Rather a comprehensive approach to addressing them should be evolved.

     

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

     Samaru Unit, Zaria

  • The new cement war

    The new cement war

    Govt has to rethink policy on 32.5mpa grade

    In the last few months, there has been another brewing war over cement in the country. This time around, the issue has to do with the 32.5mpa grade which a few stakeholders claim is responsible for the frequent building collapse in Nigeria. Curiously, it is the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), which had consistently maintained that all the cement produced in or imported into the country, met international standards that prescribed the reviewed standards of cement. Quite interestingly, only Dangote Cement, the dominant cement manufacturer in Nigeria, supports the SON’s review because it already has a headstart as it produces mainly the 42.5mpa cement. Others can hardly catch up.

    Cement comes in three grades, 32.5mpa, 42.5mpa and recently, 52.5mpa.. The new policy prescribes the use of the 52.5mpa for the construction of bridges; 42.5mpa for the casting of columns, slabs and moulding of blocks and the 32.5mpa for plastering only. Hitherto, 32.5mpa had been used for most construction purposes. The matter eventually got to the House of Representatives which set up an Ad-hoc Committee on Public Investigative Hearing on the Composition and Pigmentation of Cement (Cement Quality) in Nigeria. The committee conducted a three-day public investigative session from May 13 to 15, 2014, with relevant stakeholders submitting memoranda to it. The stakeholders included Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, SON, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN), Nigeria Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Nigerian Institute of Building,  Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors,  Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and FCT Development Department. All the eight cement manufacturers in the country also submitted their position papers on the matter.

    Going by the logic of those who claim building collapse is due to the use of 32.5mpa cement, buildings would be safe if the higher grade of 42.5mpa cement is used. This argument lacks substance, as there is no empirical evidence to support it.

    The chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Yakubu Dogara, in his welcome address at the public investigative hearing noted that building collapse claimed about 297 lives between 1974 and 2010 .. These numbers do not take into account the injured as well as many cases of permanent disabilities. Material losses, if properly quantified, will be in billions of naira”. Without doubt, the figure will be higher if we realise that not all the cases of collapsed buildings are captured in the media.

    Any rational human being confronted with such grim statistics would naturally be moved and the tendency could be to call for the removal of whatever is said to be responsible . But this is not something to be unduly emotional about. The situation requires extensive research to determine the true role that 32.5mpa cement played in these unfortunate incidents. As they say, ‘beheading cannot be the solution to headache’. Moreover, some of the prominent buildings built decades back were constructed with 32.5mpa cement and many of them are still standing. These include the National Assembly Complex, Abuja; Elephant House, Alausa, Lagos; Nitel Building, Lagos; Airport Hotel, Lagos; Western House, Lagos; Great Nigeria Insurance House, Lagos; Federal Secretariat, Lagos; Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos; Premier Hotel, Ibadan and Cocoa House, also in Ibadan, among many others.

    Many of these structures have been there for decades. Cocoa House, a 24-storey building, for instance, was commissioned in 1965.  The 32-storey NITEL Building was completed in 1979, etc.

    For me, to blame a particular grade of cement for building collapse is like blaming waiters in restaurants for obesity. We all know, as the House committee and other stakeholders in the industry noted, that cement is not the only material that is used in the construction industry. In essence therefore, it cannot alone be responsible for the high incidence of collapsed buildings. So many other things could have gone wrong in the mix that could have led to building collapse.

    It would appear that the Federal Government has finally realised the dangers that unfair monopolies constitute to the economy, hence its decision to break them. At least that was the impression created by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, during the formal presentation of the Draft Competition and Consumer Protection Policy to ministries, extra-ministerial agencies, organised business communities and state governments in the northern part of Nigeria, when he disclosed that a new competition and consumer protection policy that would address the various trade concerns and provide a level-playing ground for businessmen in the interest of consumers, in particular, and the economy at large, would begin soon.

    Unfortunately, it is the same minister and SON that are behind the review of cement standards in the country in this suspicious manner. Now, at what point did SON have a change of heart, having certified the 32.5mpa cement as having met international standards, until lately? From the look of things, it would seem the decision was hasty and decisions on such crucial matters ought to be properly digested before they become government policy. All the critical stakeholders in the built industry that presented memoranda to the House committee could not have been wrong. Most of them are professionals in their own rights whose views should count when such decisions are about to be taken.

    This was what the House committee public sitting on the matter achieved. Its conclusions are much more robust and reflect the cross-fertilisation of ideas that went into their assignment. If we are even to go by the assertion by COREN that “SON does not have a technical laboratory nor competence to test the qualities of cement produced, packaged or imported into Nigeria, nor equipment for periodic monitoring of companies producing cement in Nigeria”, at the public hearing, a claim the House committee said “was not refuted by SON”, then, we can see that there is much to the matter than meets the eye. As the committee observed, no other country, apart from China, has banned the production of 32.5mpa cement. India’s grade 43 is said to be equivalent to the 32.5 mpa. Even China that banned the 32.5mpa did so because it has achieved over-capacity in cement production, and, also as the committee noted, “to address environmental concerns”. Nigeria is nowhere near self-sufficiency in cement production.

    It is instructive that the committee asserted that not in any single case of collapsed building has the use of 32.5mpa cement been blamed by the relevant independent professional bodies that investigated them. Buildings may collapse due to a number of factors including, but not limited to the following: the cement exhausting its shelf span or due to loss of its essential qualities as a result of stacking exposure or exposure to the element; lack of control or regulation, and because relevant standards on concrete and related issues are not enforced in the downstream informal construction sector. Other causes are: inadequate education or awareness on the appropriate application of cement grades in the country. Indeed, this is so serious, as, according to the House committee, “The level of ignorance of the availability of different grades of cement in the Nigerian market is so high to the extent that most directors of works and academic institutions of higher learning are not aware of the different types of cement available in the country”. So, “if gold rusts, what would iron do”? There is also the problem of the greed of some professionals or end-users who might decide to add more sand than required in the construction mix. Of course, there is also the problem of the quality of iron used in construction, etc.

    What one can see in all of these is the ubiquitous ‘Nigerian Factor’. If, as SON claimed, the 32.5mpa cement is susceptible to misapplication and can therefore “result in construction failure”, what is the guarantee that cement of higher grades cannot also result in the same thing once those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring standards and best practices in the sector do not do their work as they should? Or, put differently, when the ‘Nigerian factor’ still reigns supreme? The sad reality is that more buildings will still collapse in the country unless we begin to hold people accountable for the menace.

    All said, until it is conclusively proven that grade 32.5mpa cement is responsible for the high incidence of collapsed buildings in the country, or elsewhere, the SON review, which confers undue advantage on the dominant player in the industry that currently produces essentially the 42.5mpa grade would appear to have been targeted at stifling the weaker players who produce the 32.5mpa largely, and the 42.5mpa only on requests by their customers. It would be tantamount to continuation of the cement war by some other means, with the Federal Government throwing its weight, as usual, behind the dominant player. It does not make economic sense for any investor to set up a cement factory for the sole purpose of producing products for plastering. The government has to rethink the policy in the overall interest of the economy.

  • Ewekoro cries out over cement dust pollution

    Ewekoro cries out over cement dust pollution

    The long standing peaceful relationship between Lafarge Cement and its host communities in and around Ewekoro in Ogun State is being threatened by complaints over dust pollution by the villagers. ERNEST NWOKOLO reports that the company is however intensifying efforts to make life and the environment better for the people.

    Fifty four years after it first set up business in Ewekoro, Ogun State extracting and blasting limestone to make cement, all seem not to be well between the West African Portland Cement (WAPCO), now Lafarge Cement and its host communities.

    The dozen or so communities playing host to the two giant cement plants and a host of quarries around the area are not happy with the dust coming out of the company’s plants which they claim is harmful to them and their environment.

    They are, therefore, calling on Lafarge to reduce the dust emission to zero level . In addition they want a higher share of the company’s profit as well as more employment opportunies for their children and more empowerment programmes  for the unemployed among them.

    But Lafarge, while not dismissing the communities call for a dust free environment said it was doing its utmost to make life better for the people adding that the level of dust being emitted by the company is  too low to cause any harm to the peoples health.

    When the company began business in 1959 at a location few meters away from the present home of the Baale of Ewekoro community, Chief Satari Lawal, little did the largely uninformed villagers then know about what challenges lay ahead.

    The villagers had not only thought it was merely a factory with small quarry occupying  a negligible piece of land for their operation, but were also un-educated on the likely impacts the company’s activities would have on their environment among others.

    And few years after commencement of operation, the chicken came home to roost – the deafening noise from blast at the quarry, the effect of the accompanying vibration as well as the routine plume of dust being emitted into space, soon became major sources of worries to the Ewekoro community.

    It was gathered that the company, about 43 years ago, wanted members of the Ewekoro community  to move to another location but the people refused, saying they would not leave their ancestral land and thus, compelling WAPCO PLC (now Lafarge Cement) to not only suspend quarry work in Ewekoro village, but also  moved some kilometres away into remote  locations to resume quarry/limestone extraction for its cement.

    Today, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, has not only morphed from a small factory, to become  a leading cement manufacturing company in the country, but has also built an additional 2.5 million metric tons capacity cement plant.

    The new plant designated as Ewekoro II and commissioned in 2011, churned out its first finished cement for the Nigerian market September 16, 2011.

    The company also went a step further to ensure a steady production without power interruption at the plant by installing a 90 MW Power Plant, that was inaugurated by the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

    While these remain good news as it would enhance Lafarge’s ability to be adding about 12,000 tons of cement to the Nigeria cement market daily, create more jobs for Nigerians among others, the company’s expansion and the attendant activities are also leaving, albeit unintended, sweet – bitter taste to some.

    Last week, a dozen of communities including Ewekoro which co – host Lafarge Cement WAPCO PLC called on the company’s management to consider their safety and do something to mitigate the impacts of its operation on them and the environment. The 12 communities are Lapeleke, Akinbo, Oke – Oko, Egbado, Sekoni, Olujobi, Papalanto, Ewekoro, Egba -Ajegunle, Elebute, Alagunto and Itori.

    According to the people, while the first eight communities are situated on areas referred to as ‘limestone belt,’ the four others though have limestone, but quarrying of it can’t take place there as they are homes only to the Lafarge plants and chimney.

    Their representatives which included the chairman, Lafarge host Communities’ Employment Committee, Chief Olaleye Olalekan, Baale of Ewekoro, Chief Satar Lawal, Baale of Akinbo, Chief Rasheed Balogun, Baale of Egba Ajegunle,  Chief Joshua Oniyitan and the youth leader for the 12 communities, Segun Oniyitan, want the dust and smoke emissions from the company reduced drastically to a zero level when they spoke to The Nation.

    They also urged the company to quickly relocate the people of  Oke – Oko Sekoni and Oke Egbado communities to safe locations away from quarry sites since the villagers are “prone to the effects of blasting at the quarry.”

    Again, they want the company to also install efficient dust collection technology at the plants to “protect residents against air pollution.”

    The villagers equally hinted that they are passionate about the ties with their departed loved ones, especially their ancestors.

    Some of them indicated that they would not only exhume and take the remains of their ancestors along with them to the new location to be provided, but also expect that Lafarge should bear the cost of reburying their departed ones.

    According to them, “our departed parents are the links to our past and we won’t leave them behind even if it is only their teeth we could find when exhumed from where they are resting, we will carry such teeth along.”

    Interestingly, the people admitted that a dust collector equipment procured and installed recently by the company had reduced the pervasive dust in their communities by about 75 percent but said they want it eliminated totally.

    It is understandable why the communities are grumbling over dust and smoke emission.

    A visit to some of them like Akinbo, Ewekoro among others, revealed a people that had continued to contend with a cloud of dust and smoke constantly over their mid – sky and which often settle thickly on their roofs, inside their houses, and any personal item left in the open.

    Washing and drying clothes in the open is a huge challenge as they get quickly dirtied and discoloured by limestone dust emission. The impact is more on villages near Lafarge’s operational base.

    Their experience is pathetic and it is being said that some parents have resorted to giving their children oil and milk to lick frequently to eliminate the effects of inhaling dust daily but there was nobody willing to confirm or deny this.

    And there has equally not been any report or case of the villagers developing health challenge such as bronchial problem and though, The Nation gathered that Lafarge aside building health centres in its host communities, it also routinely send medical team to carry out random medical testing and examinations on the people to ascertain their health status, ostensibly to ensure that nobody is at risk on account its activities.

    But one of the Baales told The Nation that the fact that there has not been any report of a major health challenge to the people does not mean there is none because most of the people, out of fear of what the result could be, are not going for test or coming out for test when Lafarge’s medical team comes around. “This makes it difficult to conclusively say that none of the villagers has any health problem linked to the effect of inhaling the dust from the quarry/cement factory”, he said.

    But there are indeed health challenges associated with inhaling this type of dust according to health experts. For example, hazard assessment document on Portland cement dust published by UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regarding effects of repeated exposure to cement dust, identified some likely health challenges.

    The HSE (1994) “noted evidence that repeated exposure of humans to Portland cement has produced rhinitis, chronic productive cough (chronic bronchitis) slight abnormalities on chest radiography and impaired pulmonary function.”

    However, it is  not clear if similar report has been documented by anybody or organisation  on the Nigerian situation with regards to long term exposure to cement dust by Nigerians either living near cement factories or working there as employees. While it is not unlikely that such a report exists, the Nigerian law provides for redress for anybody affected by such fumes/dust.

    An Abeokuta based lawyer Mr Kizito Robert said there are regulations governing the handling of an industrial emission and that individuals or a community has rights to sue a firm whose operation posed grave health risk to them.

    Kizito noted that some fumes could be poisonous or hazardous to humans and said if there is an established case of harm – health challenge, which can incontrovertibly be traced to the emitted fumes or dust, affected persons have rights to sue the company responsible the emission.

    According to him, if proven, victims are entitled to commensurate damages because it has to do with humans’ safety and survival.

    While the jury is still out on the effect of the company’s operations on the people’s health, their environment is in a terrible shape, while farming their main economic activity is being seriously hampered by the dust emission.

    Their roads are deplorable, some of the villages do not have accessible roads, and where they exist, there are riddled with potholes and often flooded whenever it rains.

    The Baale of Akinbo, Chief Rasheed Balogun and his counterparts in Ewekoro, Chief Lawal described the impact of the “dusts” as being “terrible.”

    The duo noted that their people were popular with vegetables farming, but rued that they have since waved bye to that aspect of their lives because of dust invasion.

    For Satar Lawal, the affected communities would be happier if the air pollution via dust following limestone blasting and processing activities by Lafarge could be reduced totally.

    Lawal said, “We are known for growing vegetables and other crops but the dust from the production activities of Lafarge normally settles on them. This means we have to wash and keep washing them thoroughly before either sending them to the market or cooking. We are appealing to them to bring the dust level to zero level.”

    These representatives who spoke at the Palace of the Baale of Akinbo in Akinbo village nonetheless lauded the company for its Corporate Social Responsibility which they said reflected in the areas of education, provision of portable water as well as road construction but said these are “mere drops of water in an ocean.”

    They also acknowledged that the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Joe Hudson and the Plant Managers, have been proactive in attending to issues touching their environment, safety and welfare unlike what hitherto obtained when some Nigerians were at the helms of affairs.

    For example, Chief Balogun, said work has commenced on the road being constructed for Akinbo community, he appealed to the company to expedite action on it to make the community accessible during the rainy season.

    Balogun said, “the company has commenced work on the concrete 2.5km road it promised us in Akinbo, about 500 metres have been done. We want it to expedite action on it, because the rains are here and we all know the implication of that.

    “We want to commend the company for its many interventions in the area of health care, education, electrification, potable water, economic empowerment and offering of scholarship to our children in many communities. But we believe they can still do more.”

    Also, the Baale of Egba Ajegunle, Chief Joshua Oniyitan, lending his voice, noted that about 70 per cent of Lafarge’s production activities are being carried out in Ewekoro and surrounding villages, and called on the management to employ more of their youths in the company.

    Similarly, Chief Olaleye Olalekan , Baale of Ewekoro, identified areas where the company had intervened to include borehole, provision of transformers, health centres, human resource development, building of blocks of classrooms and the introduction of Lafarge Apprenticeship Training School for their youths.

    But now they are also making a three-point demand which Lafarge should address. They want to have a fraction of the company’s annual profit, an increment in the yearly grant to each of the 12 host – communities and more employment opportunities for their youths.

    According to them, what the company had been giving them as annual grants were mere palliative, considering the negative impacts of their activities on their lives and environment and what the company garner annually as profits.

    When The Nation visited Lafarge Cement Ewekoro plant last week the company said it was aware of the villagers’ complaints, and was also taking steps to make life better for them.

    It explained that it was determined “to be the preferred neighbour to the host communities” adding that it equally “meant good” to them.

    The company admitted that it was not a big ambition for the villagers to demand a zero level of dust emission in their environment but said the amount of the dust being emitted today are not such that could “pose health hazard to the people,” adding that it may not be possible for someone to live near the ocean without feeling cold.

    The Community Relations and Communication Manager Mr Ogunleye Festus told The Nation they are executing many projects in the 12 communities yearly based on what each of the affected communities considered a priority need.

    Ogunleye noted that the company was also actively involved in the building of schools, youth empowerment and training, scholarship, care for the elderly, less privilege and the orphans as well as building of roads and grant of financial assistance to their host communities.

    According him, this is not a once in a while intervention but a continuous exercise as the people’s genuine needs arise.

    He assured that Lafarge was “very committed” to relocating villagers living near the quarry but said thing had to be done properly while the issues of relocating the departed loved ones were equally settled.

    He said: “It is a fact we are relocating some communities, we are very committed to relocating those people located on the limestone deposit. We have cleared the site meant for them, the process is going on and before the end of the year much would be achieved.

    “It is just that they want it to happen now but there are usually issues involved with movement of people, there is going to be documentation among other things.”

    Regarding the quest for a fraction of the company’s yearly profit, he said the communities are already benefiting and partaking in the share of it through sundry projects being executed for them, adding when the cake gets bigger, their share of it would also get bigger.

    Ogunleye said:”profit sharing involves many stakeholders – workers, management, governments, investors and host communities. It is from profits taxes are paid, salaries and wages are also paid and the needs of the communities addressed.

    “It is a continuous thing. When the cake is big, the share of it would also be big. If we didn’t make profit last year, I don’t know what would have happened to community projects.”

    Also, Dr. Taiwo Agbede, the company’s training manager, said no fewer than 12 youths from the communities received  specialised training in some engineering aspects of cement production.

    And last week, The Nation also observed 21 youths drawn from the host communities taking lectures at company’s Apprenticeship Training Centre where the beneficiaries are currently undergoing 18 months intensive training.

    According to Agbede, the trainees are also given allowances throughout the training, free feeding and medical care at the company’s clinic.

    While all these are being undertaken by Lafarge to assuage the anger of her host communities, it is left to be seen if the beneficiaries are contented as they kept harping on their grievances.

    And they expressed the hope that the company would listen to them, attend to their demand and not create a situation as was the case in the past where it would first take protests and blocking of the entrance  to the quarry sites by the youths before Lafarge makes a move. How far the Lafarge Cement WAPCO Plc can resolve this only time will tell.

  • SON gives cement producers 60-day deadline on labelling

    SON gives cement producers 60-day deadline on labelling

    Determined to address the lingering issues in the cement industry, as well as check the incidence of building collapse, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) yesterday issued a 60-day ultimatum to cement manufacturers on product labelling and traceability requirements.

    Specifically, the manufacturers are expected within the timeline, to indicate on product bags, the date of manufacture, and best-before dates; product application information, as well as the batch numbers of the products.

    The cement manufacturers, including, Dangote Cement Plc, Lafarge Nigeria, Unicem, Ibeto Cement, Ashaka Cement and Sokoto Cement, agreed with SON to review the  30 days deadline earlier announced at the meeting to 60 days.

    The plea for extension was to enable the manufacturers to retool and procure necessary machine to effect the changes in their processes.

    The move, which is expected to enhance traceability in case of product default, also places a responsibility on cement manufacturers to ensure that their products meet required guidelines and health and safety requirements.

    In addition, cement manufactures are expected to submit their advertisements and commercials for pre-approval by the SON before they are sent to the media, while processes should be initiated to ensure that products are properly stored by distributors and retailers to avoid a compromise of the product’s integrity.

    At a briefing yesterday, SON Diector-General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, noted that the agency in line with its mandate of protecting consumers from products that may harm them, has taken into consideration a lot of factors and has decided to address the growing concern.

    According to him, manufacturers have an ethical role to play in ensuring that products meet consumers’ expectation and are properly applied by users.

    “It is necessary to observe that none of the courts has so far made any declaration to suspend the implementation of the new standard NIS 444-1:2014. Moreover, the yawning communication gap of the last two months in the public domain regarding the sector, which is currently being exploited by the stakeholders, does not augur well for the same reasons we came up with the new standard.

    He stressed the need for all stakeholders to meet in a consultative forum to address the contending issues  and to expressly declare and reaffirm the mandate of SON to regulate the sector for public safety.

    Odumodu explained that it was equally needful to address issues of storage conditions and labeling which do not appear to be in contention at the courts; and as well address, respond and follow up the resolutions of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Cement and to clarify the differences between standards and technical  regulations in the context of the powers and responsibilities of the government to make regulations and to enforce them accordingly.

  • Cement manufacturers back Reps on quality review

    •‘Why we’re 42.5 quality-compliant’ 

    Major cement manufacturers have promised to align with the House Representatives’ position that the 42.5MPA cement grade should be the minimum standard of the product to be produced in the country.

    The said expired cement should be withdrawn from the market.

    Major cement manufacturing companies, like Bua, Ibeto and Dangote, had agreed with the quality review by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), which pegged the 42.5 grade for general purpose.

    It was learnt that they have been producing the quality grade cement and were not intending to reduce its quality.

    The Yakubu Dogara-led ad hoc Committee on Cement Composition and Pigmentation, after a public hearing among stakeholders, submitted its report to the House.

    In the report, the committee urged the SON to implement its cement standardisation, adding that manufacturers should retool for the production of the higher grade.

    The recommendation, according to the report, was based on the fact that if made to choose between 32.5 and 42.5 grades of cement, consumers would choose the 42.5 higher grade.

    It noted that because those who build structures are mostly non-professionals, it would be in the nation’s interest to adopt a cement grade that is less susceptible to wrong application.

    Also, the committee said any manufacturer or distributor implicated in the sale of expired cement should be severely sanctioned to ensure that sanity prevails in the cement manufacturing and construction industry.

    The Chairman of Bua Cement, Abdulsamad Rabiu, said the House of Representatives did a patriotic job for making those recommendations.

    Rabiu said the move should be supported by manufacturers with the safety and well-being of the people at heart.

    He said his company, which operates the oldest cement plant in Nigeria – Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) – had been producing the higher grade of cement from the outset.

    The company chief said the House decision was in order.