Dangote Cement plc will next week Thursday commission its 2.5 million
mtpa cement plant in Ethiopia as the company inches towards the 40
million mtpa mark and total production capacity globally before the end
of 2015, in furtherance of its expansion plan in Africa.
Ethiopia Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegne is expected to perform
the opening ceremony at an event that will be graced by top members of
Nigeria business community.
According to a statement from Dangote Group, the Ethiopians are
excited about the timely completion of the project and the economic
prospects of having such a company in the country.
The Dangote Cement plant, said to be the single largest investment by
an African, will be the fifth in the series of the offshore plants of
the company that have rolled out product within the last one year in the
continent, coming after Senegal, Cameroon, South Africa and Zambia.
The cement plants are in various stages of construction in nine other
countries, as the company is investing $5 billion to build an African
cement empire, with factories in 14 countries.
In March this year, its $300 million green-field cement plant rolled
out product in Senegal, with the Senegalese government promising to give
Dangote Cement the required assistance to perform maximally as its
entry has stir up economic activities.
In that occasion, Katyen Jackden, Nigerian ambassador to Senegal and
Mauritania, said “I am very proud of what Dangote is doing by promoting
intra-African investments, promoting regional development,
industrialisation and cohesion among African nations with his
investments. We need more Africans like Dangote to be at the forefront
of promoting intra-African investments.”
According to her, Dangote Cement has done Nigeria proud with the
commencement of production and she was happy that Dangite Cement has
been instantly accepted in the market because of its quality.
Also, Ousmane Cisse, Senegal’s director of mines, praised Aliko
Dangote, chairman, Dangote Cement, for his doggedness and seing the
construction through despite various setbacks.
“Dangote Cement is a great project for the country and the consumers.
We expect that the investments will not only make high quality cement
available to our people, it will increase the purchasing power of
consumers to help the country develop more and more.
“As a government, we look forward to get more revenue from the
sector, and for our local communities surrounding the plant, more jobs
that will reduce poverty and generate more upstream and downstream
activities. Our SMEs will be developed and the multiplier effects on our
industries, the government and to all stakeholders will be beneficial,”
he said.
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