SON gives Dangote Cement new quality certification, lauds product quality

The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) has certified Dangote Cement as having passed the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, a development the agency said has stood out the company among its competitors in the industry.

The Director-General of the SON, Osita Anthony Aboloma, said a new revised standard for cement production in Nigeria had been released. SON Director of Standard Development, Chinyere Egwuonwu, stated this during a facility tour of the Dangote Cement Plant, Obajana, Kogi State by top officials of the organisation. Aboloma noted the new certification was an attestation to the Dangote Cement Plc’s quality products and its capacity to conduct in-process and in-house tests on its raw materials and finished products in conformity with relevant national standards.

The SON boss further disclosed that the revised standard for cement NIS 444-1:2018 has been approved by the Standard Council of Nigeria and is ready for implementation. Aboloma commended Dangote Cement for its active participation, especially in the area of standard development, saying the SON appreciated the company’s effort and would be ready to partner and collaborate with the company’s management.

He promised that the SON would continue to collaborate and provide the required support with Dangote Cement, other private sector operators and stakeholders to ensure availability of the relevant standards for both raw materials and finished products.

Group MD of Dangote Cement Plc, Engr. Joseph Makoju, said the Company has never taken standards lightly and does not limit itself to the set standards but usually exceeds standard both in quality of its products and environmental friendliness of its plants.

Makoju explained that its partnership with the SON was born out of the quest of Dangote Cement to keep to standard and that the organisation has invested heavily in machiny that ensures excellent product quality.

He explained that the decision of the Company to take the lead in the backward integration policy of the federal government has paid off and that it was for the role of Dangote Cement that Nigeria is now self-sufficient in cement production and consumption.

The Obajana Plant Director, Veeraraghavan Sirinivasan, said the Obajana cement plant was the largest single cement plant in Sub-Saharan Africa and thanked the SON officials for visiting the plant as partners. Sirinivasan promised that Dangote cement would keep the flag of standard adherence flying and would stop at nothing to ensure Nigeria remains key in the cement sector in Africa.