Dangote Cement reopens Gboko plant, Nigeria

Dangote Cement has resumed operations at its Gboko plant in Benue State, Nigeria, due to strong demand.

The company closed the plant in December because of a glut in the market caused by cheap, imported cement being sold in the area it serves.

“We are reopening Gboko immediately,” Carl Franklin, the London-based head of investor relations, said in a statement. “Demand has been strong since the beginning of the year.”

"Since the shutdown of the Gboko Cement Plant, the government has been engaging local cement manufacturers in discussions, trying to find solutions to the challenges facing the industry," the statement said.

The decision to re-open the cement works followed a meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the firm's chairman Aliko Dangote.