Dangote slams Ibeto for Nigeria surplus

A spat has broken out between Nigeria’s leading domestic producer, Dangote Cement, and Ibeto Cement Company, the country’s sole cement importer.

Dangote Group spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, Group Head, Corporate Communications, blamed a surplus of supply on the continued importation of subsidised cement into the country.

According to Chiejina, Dangote Group’s Gboko cement plant was shut because of a flood of imported cement, adding that staff had to be put on forced leave, pending when the situation improves.

In response, Dr. Ben Aghazu, Executive Director (Strategy and Public Affairs), Ibeto Cement Company accused Dangote Group of being afraid of competition and unfairly seeking to instigate the federal government to intervene and stop the importation of bulk cement, thereby crippling Ibeto’s own operations.

Ibeto Cement Company was previously granted permission by the Federal Court in Abuja to import up to 1.5Mta bulk cement for the period 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2017.

According to Ibeto Cement Company: “Dangote Group is also trying to influence the federal government to, in effect, invalidate the essence of the court order that authorises Ibeto Cement to import this small amount of cement until 30 September, 2017, by raising the duty and other taxes on imported cement so as to make the imported cement more expensive than Dangote Cement.”