Dangote Cement Plc has dismissed claims by some manufacturers of the
Cement that the recent upward review of the quality standard by the
Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) will lead to price increase
The management of Dangote Cement allayed the fears of the consumers that
the upgrade of cement quality and the new classification of grades have
nothing to do with the price.
Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Devakumar Edwin said in Lagos
at the weekend that those making such claims were doing so to blackmail
the regulatory authorities into backing down on the new quality standard.
He explained in an interview with journalists that for any patriotic
manufacturer with consumer interest at heart, there is no relationship
between the new standard review and the Price of the product except for
profiteering.
To buttress his point, Edwin noted that his company started producing 42.5
grade for the past eight years at its Obajana plant and the Ibese plant
for about three years at the same with price of the lower grade of 32.5
produced by some other competitors.
According to him, the switching over to a higher quality cement shouldn’t
be a difficult process that will necessitate increase in price of the
product.
The Dangote Cement boss added that his company has even gone ahead to be
producing 52.5 grade of cement and that it would be uncharitable for
anyone to claim that the new standard would lead to price hike for the
product.
Edwin then pledged that much as his company would continue to cooperate
with government and authorities in the regulation of the cement industry,
it would ensure the price is not hijacked by profiteers.
It would be recalled that SON in the wake of the building collapses across
the country and the attendant controversies on the quality of cement being
produced in the country summoned the meeting of a stakeholders in the
building and construction industry.
The meeting undertook a review of standard of quality of cement and came
out with a classification of cement types and their appropriate uses as a
means of stemming the suspected misapplication of the product which has
contributed to the building collapse menace.
SON in the new classification exercise 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 the fresh review of standard, the Organisation restricted the use of
the 32.5 grade strength to plastering of structures only while 42.5 grade
is recommended for the construction of buildings, beams, load bearing
columns, pillars, block moulding and other structures and the 52.5
recommended for the construction bigger projects like bridges, flyovers,
and high rise buildings.
Edwin said the decision by Dangote Cement to embark on the high quality
grade was to help Nigeria stem the tide of collapse building and commended
SON for the bold move pointing out that Dangote was ready to support the
regulatory body in the onerous task of ridding the nation of structure
failures.
He said: “After 28 days, the 32.5 grade gives a strength of 32.5MPA,
whereas the 42.5 grade gives a curing of 42.5MPA i.e 30 per cent higher in
strength.”
Mr. Edwin said that in spite of the high quality grade of Dangote Cement,
it has not increased its price for the product ans would not.
“China, the Number one producer of cement in the world is phasing out the
entire 32.5 grade by July. India, the second largest producer of cement
phased out 32.5 grade cement 12 years back,” he added.
The Dangote Cement GMD had at a public hearing conducted by the House of
Representatives on Cement Quality in Abuja questioned why other
manufacturers will be producing high grade cement in their Indian
factories while producing low grade cement in Nigeria.
Edwin said before 2004 Nigerian businessmen used to produce and import the
high grade cement, 42.5MPA, wondering why the sudden jettisoning of the
high quality cement for 32.5 lower grade.
According to him, the phenomenon of collapse building increased
astronomically as from 2004 when other manufacturers downgraded their
quality to 32.5MPA. It is estimated that from 1974 to 2010, collapse
building had claimed 297 lives.
The SON had recently issued a directive that 52.5R be used for bridges,
42.5R should be used for casting of columns, beams, slabs and making
blocks, while the low grade 32.5MPA was restricted to plastering.
Speaking also at the Public Hearing, Director General of SON Joseph Ikem
Odumodu said the restriction placed on the use of low grade cement is
important to mitigate the problem of collapse building in the country.
Contributing, President of the Cement Manufacturers Association of
Nigerian (CMAN) Engr Joseph Makoju, said the 42.5 grade is superior cement
over 32.5 and that Nigeria used to produce and import 42.5 before the
coming of 32.5MPA.