Dangote Group has unveiled expansion plans of over $20 billion dollars over the next decade with the projection to up cement production from the current 40 million tonnes per annum to between 75-80 million tonnes by 2020, a 100 per cent growth.
The company initially produced eight million tonnes per annum as at 2010. The group’s Executive Director, Stakeholders’ Relations and Corporate Communications, Engr. Ahmed Mansur said at a media parley that plans were underway to build a new cement plant in Edo State towards efforts aimed at increasing the volume of cement production, Worldstage reports.
According to him, the company was making huge investments in the nation’s agricultural sector, to diversify the economy from dependence on oil revenues in view of the present realities in oil production and prices.
He said Dangote had commenced rice production in Jigawa State through outgrowers and that efforts are ongoing to begin rice production in Kogi, Niger and Kebbi states.
Mansur said these would enable the nation attain food sufficiency and stop the importation of foreign rice, presently costing the nation about $2 billion annually.
He said the company was also investing in the area of oil and gas, adding that a refinery that will refine 650,000 barrel of crude oil per day is being built in the country.
He said the company will be constructing gas pipelines from the south eastern part of the country to transport about three billion cubic metres of natural gas from the south to Lagos.
Mansur said that the various investments being embarked upon will generate more jobs for the unemployed, adding that the company has so far engaged about 15,000 people into direct jobs.
