BUA Cement recorded 300% production increase in 7 years ― Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Thursday, said that BUA Cement recorded a 300 per cent increase in production from 2015 to date.

Mohammed said this during a tour of BUA Cement plant in Sokoto.

The Minister, who attributed the growth in production to the conducive business environment created by the Buhari administration, said “It is interesting to note that the conditions that have made BUA Cement to flourish, especially since 2015 when this administration assumed office, include the fact that BUA was granted Pioneer Status, the ban on importation of cement, government’s divestment from the cement industry and of course backward integration policy.

“Thanks to these conditions, BUA Cement has recorded a 300 per cent increase in production between 2015 and now. That’s from 3.5 million tonnes per annum in 2015 to 11 million tonnes per annum now. For its part, the Sokoto plant is operating at over 90 per cent of installed capacity.”

The minister, who said the visit to the plant was in continuation of his tour of public and private sector projects impacting positively on Nigerians, praised the commitment of BUA chairman, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, to growing the nation’s economy and creating jobs.

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According to him, “There is no better indication of BUA’s support for the government’s economic diversification and job creation agenda than the company’s massive investments in Nigeria. In the last five years, BUA has completed four new cement plants of similar capacity in different parts of the country and is set to complete two more plants soon. It is expected that total production for BUA Cement will amount to 17 million tonnes per annum by 2023.”

He added, “In 2020, BUA Group consolidated its cement operations and listed BUA Cement Plc on the Nigerian Stock Exchange with a total combined installed capacity of 8 million tonnes per annum and a market capitalisation of N2.5 trillion, making it the second-largest cement producer in Nigeria with 25 per cent of the market; the largest cement producer in the North West, South-South and South-East of the country and the largest private employer of labour in the North-West. BUA Cement (Sokoto plant) is primarily engaged in the business of quarrying, extracting, processing and dealing in limestone as well as the manufacture and supply of cement.”

While lauding the management for upholding global standards in its operations, the minister said, “The 3 million tonnes per annum line (IV) of the BUA Cement facility that we have just visited takes the combined installed capacity of the factory’s Lines 2,3 and 4 to 5 million tonnes per annum. This is one of the most modern cement plants anywhere. It has gas analyzers used in regulating carbon emissions released into the atmosphere; air purifying mechanisms set up to enhance the quality of air released from the cement manufacturing process.

“In fact, the plant has filters capable of capturing 99.9 per cent of dust in order to make the environment healthy and conducive for workers and customers alike. The plant is the first cement plant in Nigeria to use Liquefied Natural Gas to generate 50MW of power, thereby replacing coal in its kiln. This has made the plant environmentally friendly to also curb climate change.

“I am sure when the AKK gas pipeline project is completed, it will drastically reduce the time and cost of transporting gas, which is currently being trucked from Port Harcourt to the plant. At least 20 trucks of LNG are brought here daily from Port Harcourt. Imagine the costs and the logistic challenges involved in this.”

Earlier in his welcome address, Managing Director of BUA Cement Plc, Yusuf Binji, thanked the minister for the visit and expressed the appreciation of the management and board of the company to the government for providing an enabling environment for businesses to blossom.

He assured the minister that the company would continue to support the efforts of the government to diversify the economy and create employment opportunities for the people.

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