By JUDE NJOKU

The lid was opened early in the year when a coalition of civil society groups and professional bodies in the construction industry addressed newsmen to decry the poor quality of cement being produced or imported into the country.

The group alleged that the rising occurrence of collapsed buildings in Nigeria, is directly linked to the utilisation of poor grade of cement.

In a bid to push through its agitation, the group called on the National Assembly to probe manufacturers and importers of cement for compromising standards. The coalition also enlisted the assistance of the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, to enforce the National Building Code as it relates to the use of substandard materials in building constructions.

Prior to this time, most Nigerians did not know that cement is graded. The threat by the coalition drew divergent responses from some cement manufacturers, under the auspices of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, CMAN and Messrs Dangote Cement Company Plc.

Cement manufacturers

While the cement manufacturers claimed that they have met the standard set for the industry, Dangote maintained that unlike other cement manufacturers which churn out the 32.5 grade of cement,it (Dangote) produces only the 42.5 grade from all its plants located at Ibeshe, Obajana and Gboko.

The company took a further step to launch the 42.5 grade Dangote 3X cement into the market. Unveiling the new product, Group Managing Director of the company, Mr. Devakumar VG Edwin said they decided to produce only the 42.5 grade of cement because Dangote places premium on safety of human lives rather than maximising profits alone.

Attributing the rising incidents of buildings collapse in the country to the use of substandard materials including cement, Mr. Edwin lamented that when buildings collapse, it is not only lives and property that are lost, but the economy of the country is also adversely affected.

He explained that Dangote Cement which contributes about 60 percent of cement produced in Nigeria, went into the production of the 3X 42.5 R cement as a further demonstration of its commitment to stem the rising occurrence of collapsed buildings and the attendant loss of lives and property.

“Dangote has stopped the production of the 32.5 lower cement grade; we are focusing on 42.5 cement grade because we believe that as a responsible organisation, human life is more precious than making profits. The introduction of Dangote 42.5, 3X cement, is not to dominate the cement industry but to follow the acceptable global trend, which has also been adopted by West African countries like Ghana, where the focus is shifting towards the 42.5 cement grade as the preferred quality of cement for building and construction activities,”he said.

The repackaged Dangote Cement was endorsed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria, AHCN and the Association of Block Makers.

Apparently reacting to the
claims by Dangote Cement, Messrs Lafarge WAPCO Plc, which is Nigeria’s second largest cement manufacturing company, embarked on series of sensitisation campaigns to enlighten cement users on its range of products and their applications.

At one of such fora in Abuja, the Minister of Trade, Dr Olusegun Aganga said Nigeria has adopted a standard for the cement to be used in the country. But he failed to disclose whether it is the 32.5 or 42.5 grade of cement.

At another sensitisation forum in Lagos, Lafarge’s General Manager, Sales and Customers’ Services, Mr. Sam Ndionyema differentiated its cement from those produced by other companies.

According to him, Lafarge WAPCO has cement for different uses unlike other brands that have one type of cement for different construction activities.