Sinoma has completed a 6Mta cement plant in Nigeria for Dangote Cement Group.

The US$1.6bn plant was formally unveiled on Thursday evening by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at Ibese in southwest Nigeria's Ogun State.

Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, said the new plant would generate 7000 direct jobs and many indirect jobs, noting that the Ibese plant is the biggest cement factory in sub-Saharan Africa.

"With the commissioning and full operation of the plant, Nigeria will start exportation of cement to African countries and beyond in a month," he added.

The Nigerian leader said the country was set to be an exporter of cement because of the 2002 backward integration policy introduced by former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
President Jonathan told his audience that his administration would continue to encourage the private sector in the development of the nation's economy.

Speaking at the occasion, Wu Shoufu, Sinoma's senior director, said that local employment had made a great contribution to the company's rapid completion of the project. Over 2000 Nigerian youths were involved in the building process, he said.