Management of Dangote Cement has announced that it will commission the 3Mta grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire by the third quarter of this year, which is expected to strengthen the company’s position in Africa and contribute significantly to its exports.

Chief Executive of Dangote Cement, Arvind Pathak, in a note to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, said the company is encouraged by the growth in its export business. He said: “Export volumes from Nigeria increased by 18.2%, with 18 successful clinker shipments made to Ghana and Cameroon. This demonstrates the growing importance of our pan-African footprint and our ongoing commitment to regional trade and self-sufficiency.”

Arvind Pathak also revealed that the company’s strategic priorities remain focused on long-term value creation. He said Dangote Cement has made significant progress in further strengthening its cost architecture. “…During the period, we began the phased delivery of 1,600 additional CNG-powered trucks, which will significantly reduce our logistics costs and enhance environmental efficiency.”

Commenting on the financials for the second quarter, which he said was built on the company’s strength, resilience, and adaptability amidst improvements in key macroeconomic indicators, he said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and cost containment is delivering tangible results. According to him: “Group EBITDA rose by an impressive 41.8% to ₦944.9 billion, while Group profit surged by 174.1%. This remarkable performance is a testament to our disciplined execution, strong cost leadership, and the strategic investments we have made over the years.”

Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with 52.0Mta capacity across Africa. A fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer that have a production capacity of 35.25Mta in Nigeria. Its Obajana plant in Kogi state, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 16.25Mta of capacity across five lines; while its Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12Mta. In the same vein, its Gboko plant in Benue state has 4Mta, and its Okpella plant in Edo state has 3Mta. Through its recent investments, Dangote Cement has eliminated Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement and has transformed the nation into an exporter of cement and clinker, serving neighbouring countries.

In addition, the company has operations in Cameroon (1.5Mta clinker grinding), Congo (1.5Mta), Ghana (2.0Mta clinker grinding and import), Ethiopia (2.5Mta), Senegal (1.5Mta), Sierra Leone (0.5Mta import), South Africa (2.8Mta), Tanzania (3.0Mta), Zambia (1.5Mta).