Dangote Cement Plc has clarified that the reason for the introduction of
the higher cement grade the 52.5N, was to offer consumers variety of choices in
their quest for quality products.
This is just as block makers commended the initiatives of the cement
company in producing a higher grade of the product at a time the quality of
cement had become an issue.
Group Managing Director of the Company, Devakumar Edwin told a group of
block makers who visited his office at the weekend that the new cement grade
would be produced alongside the 42.5 grade noting that Dangote Cement would not
relent in the quest to sanitize the industry and rid the market of lower
quality cement.
According to him the launching of the new cement was one of the
responses of Dangote Cement as a leading manufacturer of the commodity in
Africa to the efforts at stemming the tide of building collapse relating to
cement.
The block makers who visited the Group Headquarter of the Company in
Lagos said the new cement would offer cement users opportunity to choose which
grade suits their construction as opposed to the former situation where a grade
of cement is used for almost all constructions.
They also stated that with the new 52.5N grade, the chances of
substandard cement finding their ways into the market is further reduced.
It would be recalled that Dangote Cement Plc at a press briefing had
announced the commencement of a production of a higher grade of cement, 52.5N,
being first in Africa to produce such.
Edwin told newsmen the 52.5N has been a standard already in existence
and that it was just that Dangote Cement decided to be producing it to add to
the choices of quality cement available in the market for its consumers.
Stating that the new brand is now being produced from all of its three
plants in Ibese, Ogun state, Gboko, Benue state and Obajana in Kogi state, the
GMD disclosed that it would sell for the same amount as the 42.5 despite that
the cost of production is higher. “it is in the interest of our customers to
make it affordable”, he stated.
Basking in the euphoria of the new feat, Edwin disclosed that the new
cement grade, which has been certified by the Standard Organization (SON), as
conforming to the requirements of NIS 444-2003 and other relevant standard
institutions would be made available in all parts of the country.
Edwin flaunted before newsmen, the SON certificate which read in part
“considering the inspection carried out at your factory by a team of SON
officers and the outcome of the laboratory samples of the product of your
company, I have the pleasure to inform you that the under listed product of
your company is hereby adjuged by the SON to conform to the requirements of NIS
444-1:2003 and other relevant standards.
He explained that the new cement could be used for all construction
purposes but that it is the best for any civil construction having load bearing
colum.
Edwin stated that though Dangote Cement was also the first to produce
the 42.5N grade earlier while other manufacturers were churning out 32.5 grade
pointing out that the desire to constantly research into how to improve the
quality of its products necessitated the new cement grade.
In his contribution, Engr. Joe Makoju, the Honorary Adviser to the
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote described the introduction of the new
cement as ground breaking, saying Nigeria is now one of the best quality
producers of cement in the world.
“No matter the sophistication of the structure, this is the best grade
for any civil construction. Dangote did not create the standard. The standard
has been there, we have only blazed the trail by starting its production. Its’
good for lead bearing colums”, Makoju explained.
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