The management of Dangote Group has said that under no circumstances would any of its subsidiaries compromise on its quality just as it said that operations at any of the factories and plants are environmental and community friendly.
The company made this known in a statement issued at the weekend against the background of the on-going debates on the appropriate quality of cement and environmental impact of production plants.
Dangote group, a leading producer of cement and household products in the statement signed by its Group Head, Corporate Communication, Anthony Chiejina, explained that the Group was mindful of the quality of its products and has been adhering strictly to the acceptable best global practices.
The group stated that it had no issue with the cement quality which has recently become a subject of controversy, saying that all along the company has been manufacturing the best quality which 42.5 grade good for building.
According to him, the cement quality being churned out from all the Dangote cement plants are controlled by robot to eliminate any human error, adding that the emission at all its cement factories had been in tandem with the global requiement because it deployed latest technology that reduces noise to the bearest minimum and almost eliminate emission.
“The issue of environmental pollution from factories operating from Ogun state had attracted public petition to the Ogun State House of Assembly which is currently holding a public hearing on the petition. However, it should be noted that Dangote cement was not one of the companies summoned over the issue of polution as the Ogun State House of Assembly committee on environment said it was satisfied with the operations of the group within the state,” the statement said.
The Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement, Devarkuma Edwin had last week in Lagos said that Dangote Cement chose to produce 42.5 cement grade as it is stronger and has better qualities.
According to him, the cement grade possesses higher strength capability and is rapid setting making it the preferred grade among blockmakers, builders and construction workers.
Further explaining why Dangote Cement is laying emphasis on the production of 42.5 grade cement, Edwin said that prior to the nation attaining self-sufficiency in cement production, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) stipulated the 42.5 grade as the grade accepted one to be imported into the country and all importers complied. “Dangote Cement as a responsible market leader has continued to produce 42.5 grade in its three plants in strict adherence to the stipulations of the SON,” Edwin said.
He wondered why SON should insist on 42.5 grade as the standard for import and then allow a lower grade in terms of local production. “How come during the import era, we are all compelled by the regulatory authorities to bring in 42.5 grades and now since 2012 when import was banned, the same regulatory authorities condoned the production of 32.5 grades”
Reacting to claims by a cross section of cement manufacturers that the root cause of building collapse is not cement quality but poor use of materials especially 32.5 grade by builders, Edwin advocated that the best way to ensure safety in the construction industry is to insist on 42.5 as the grade to be produced and used in Nigeria.
He explained that after seminars and training to educate builders on how to use 32.5 grade in building, the unscrupulous ones among them still cut corners to cheat on quality.
According to him, the incidence of building collapse will be greatly reduced if operators adhere to a common quality specification leaving no opportunity for manipulations.
He debunked the claims that switching over to 42.5 grades would impact negatively on the profit margins, adding that producing the grade will lead to a marginal cost increase and it should be seen as a patriotic gesture to stem the tide of building collapse. “We place a high premium on human lives and not cost. Nothing on earth can be substituted for human lives. Those arguing that migrating from 32.5 to 42.5 will erode their profit margin are insincere and selfish as human lives are more important than profit taking.”, he said.
As part of its efforts at promoting best practices in the building industry, Edwin said that Dangote Cement in the past two years has held several trainings and demonstrations with blockmakers across the nation to educate them on how to achieve premium results using the 42.5 cement grade.
Giving a breakdown of the different grades of cement available, he noted that 92 per cent of Portland cement produced in the United States are in 52.5 and 42.5 Grades, while other imported cement from China, Japan, Denmark and Paris are all 42.5 Grade.
“Over 90 per cent of consumers are not aware of the different types of cement available in Nigeria. Their expectations with respect to the performance of cement are the same regardless of the type. The grade (quality) of concrete to be used may allow 32.5 grade cement for certain construction work such as pavements, rendering (plastering) and culverts but would demand 42.5 grade cement for structures, columns, bridges and multi storeyed buildings,” he said.
A coalition of civil society groups and professional bodies in the construction industry are set to launch a major campaign for the standardization of the manufacturing and importation of the product.
The coalitions have called on the relevant authorities to initiate actions to make 42.5 grade of cement the standard product in Nigeria.
The stakeholders’ argument is that nearly all the cement manufacturers and importers in the country are in the habit of taking advantage of the lax regulation and lack of enforcement to vary their pigmentation in favour of the lower grade cement (32.5) which in most cases is used in building and seen to be partly responsible for the collapse of houses.