Dangote Cement Leaves Nigeria, Begins Operations In Senegal

The management of Dangote Cement Plc has
announced the commencement of operations at its
new plant in Pout, Senegal.
The firm said in a statement that the plant would
meet the cement needs of Senegal, Mali and the
Gambia, among others.
"The new plant, located in the Pout district of
Senegal, is about 75 kilometres from Dakar, the
country's capital, and has a nominal capacity to
produce 4,000 metric tonnes per day and 1.2 million
metric tonnes per annum. The plant is expected to
create more than 1,000 jobs, with a total production
capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes annually," the
statement read in part.
The Country Head, Dangote Industries, Senegal, Luk
Haelterman, was quoted as saying that the plant had
so far gulped around $250m, while actual production
and sales from it started on January 10, 2015.
He added, "In this country, Dangote will not only stop
at producing cement, we also have helped beyond
cement, which is the idea of the owner, to become a
pan-African enterprise.
"Senegal is a market with over-capacity of cement,
because it had two cement factories before now. But
today, Dangote has become the biggest and best
because we are producing the 42.5R grade only,
which is better than what we met on ground, which is
the 32.5R."
The Sales and Marketing Director, Serigne Dieng, was
also quoted as saying that Senegal, with 14 million
people and a Gross Domestic Product growth of four
per cent, had a cement market of three million metric
tonnes per year and a per capita consumption rate of
230 kilogrammes.
"Now, we have more capacity and Dangote Cement is
exporting two million metric tonnes to Mali and the
Gambia through rail," he was quoted as saying.
The Chief Operating Officer of the plant, Athanasios
Bampos, was also quoted as saying that the location
of the factory was not only rich in limestone but also
in clay and laterite, which are the major ingredients
needed for cement manufacturing.
Nigeria's Ambassador to Senegal and Mauritania,
Katyen Jackden, was said to have commended
Dangote for bringing cohesion among African
nations with his investments.