Lafarge Africa to drive Nigeria’s industrial revolution

The MD of Lafarge Africa Plc, Michel Puchercos’, recent statement that his company was committed to continue doing business in Nigeria despite the challenges, indisputably hit the mark.

Puchercos said: “It is a known fact that we have been in business in Nigeria for over five decades. Following the backward integration policy of the government, our operations grew from 3million metric tons (mt) in 2008 to 8.5mt in 2012, with investment of over 1.0 billion Euros. Further investment of over $565 million is currently being made in the additional 2.5mt capacity cement plant in Mfamosing, Calabar, Cross River State.”

Puchercos said plant will be commissioned soon. “With this, we have a combined capacity of 10.5 million metric tons of cement from our operations in Ashaka Cement (Gombe State), UniCem in Cross River State, WAPCO operations in Ogun state and Atlas Cement in Rivers State. We have announced plans and performed a ground breaking ceremony for a 2.5mt ton expansion in plant capacity at Ashaka. In addition, we are constructing an N11 billion captive power plant also at Ashaka, Gombe State.

“We are the leading readymix concrete producer through our Lafarge Readymix Nigeria operations in Lagos, Ewekoro, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt, with plan to spread to other states of Nigeria in the near future to contribute innovative solutions to the building and construction industries. Outside the oil and gas and telecommunications industries, LafargeHolcim, is one of the largest foreign investors in Nigeria.”

He noted that Lafarge Africa Plc is a leading Sub-Saharan Africa building Materials Company, and a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, and also a world leader in building materials.

Combining its operations in Nigeria – Ewekoro and Sagamu Plants in Ogun State, Ashakacem in Gombe State, Mfamosing in Cross Rivers State, Atlas cement in Rivers State and Ready-Mix Nigeria with its varied operations in South Africa, Lafarge Africa has a current installed cement capacity of 14.1Mtpa. This is in addition to strong market leading positions in Aggregates, Readymix and Fly Ash.

The Group operations produce cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete which are used in building projects ranging from affordable housing and small, local projects to the biggest, most technically and architecturally challenging infrastructure projects.

With leading positions in all regions, LafargeHolcim employs around 90,000 employees in more than 80 countries and has a portfolio that is equally balanced between developing and mature markets.