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.
