Dangote company to make cement affordable to all

Dangote Cement Cameroon S.A, which is part of the reputable Dangote Group of Nigeria, will provide high quality cement produced at its new and ultra modern plant in Douala, at very affordable prices to Cameroonians.

The revelation was made in the nation’s capital, Yaounde, on December 11, by the various speakers representing the company at the 2014 edition of the International Exhibition for Enterprises and Partnerships, PROMOTE 2014.

The occasion was a public conference that saw a massive attendance by the students of the Higher School of Engineering, Polytechnic, and the National Higher School of Public Works, all in Yaounde.

In an introductory remark, the Head of Liaison at the Dangote Cement Cameroon S.A, Josephine Bekong, said the students were particularly invited to the conference because they are future engineers who will dominantly be using the Dangote Cement on the field.

The Head of Department of Civil Engineering at the Public Works School, Dr. Michel Mbessa, who led the students to the conference, hailed Dangote Cement for giving the students the opportunity to discover the company.

He hoped that knowledge gathered by the students at the event, would enhance their understanding of lessons in class.

The Senior Sales Officer at the Dangote Cement Cameroon, Christelle Kemegni Gret, said the Dangote Group has as mission of touching the lives of people by providing their basic needs. On the vision of the company, she said the Dangote Group is perfecting its activities “to be a world-class enterprise that is passionate about enhancing the standard of living of the general populace and giving high returns to the company.

42.5R Brand Of Cement

The Quality Control and Quality Assurance Manager at Dangote Cement Cameroon, Cyrille Munjam Novala, said the Dangote Group heavily invested in research to come up with a new product – CEM II 42.5R in order to match the rapid increase in sophisticated designs.

He told conference participants that CEM II 42.5R is a composite Portland cement with the best grade which is obtained by grinding clinker, pozzolana and gypsum. According to Munjam, clinker, which is the main constituent, makes up 80 to 90 percent of the composition, while pozzolana and gypsum that are secondary constitute six to 20 and three to five percent respectively.

“This cement is the best grade for any civil construction because of early strength at young age; quick initially setting time and great durability. Therefore, no matter the sophistication of the structure, CEM II 42.5R will reduce building collapse in Cameroon,” he stated.

Stating that CEM II 42.5R Brand, which is the company’s brand, demonstrates Dangote’s commitment to human life, Munjam said Portland Cements are marked by physical properties which are setting time, soundness, fineness and strength, while its chemical properties are sulphate content and chloride.

Kemegni talked on the packaging of the cement noting that it is in conformity with norms set by the Cameroon Government. She gave detailed characteristics including dosage which is also indicated on the package. She reiterated the advantages of the Dangote Cement such as high early strength, quick initial setting and better workability plus low heat of hydration.

The Dangote Cement is highly recommended for pre-cast reinforced concrete, flyovers, columns, beams, slabs, blocks, soil stabilisation, reinforced walls, vaults, marine construction and any other work requiring quick setting, quick demoulding and high strength.

On safety measures, Kemegni said, although not harmful to dry skin, care should be taken by using waterproof or other suitable protective clothing when working with wet mortar. “Avoid dry cement contact with the eyes, mouth and nose when mixing mortar. In case of direct contact of cement with any human part, wash off immediately and thoroughly with clean water,” she advised.

Environmentally Friendly Company

Dwelling on technology and the environment with regards to the Dangote Cement Factory, Josephine Bekong disclosed that “the plant is designed with 23 bag filters (purging air filters cleaned with air), eco hoppers at the ship side of the complex with self dust capture systems and the belt conveyors are all covered and therefore dustproof.”

She added that “the vertical roller mill for cement grinding is most energy efficient and produces least noise. It is also airtight. Drying and grinding of pozzolana, gypsum and clinker will be done in the mill. Hot gas generator utilises natural gas which is over 90 percent methane, thereby minimising carbondioxide emission…

“Total particulate emission is expected to be less than 30mg/m3 far below the 150mg/m3 European standard. Cooling water is re-circulated within the system thus no waste water to be rejected and spillages and oils, etc, will be collected and disposed of by authorised operators,” Bekong said while presenting the environmentally-friendly Dangote Cement Factory to the audience. It is worth noting that Dangote Cement Cameroon also put up an exhibition stand at PROMOTE 2014, that, each day, attracted hundreds of visitors.

We’ll Soon Hit The Market

The General Manager of Dangote Cement Cameroon SA, Abdullahi Baba, on December 12, declared that all is set for the cement plant in Douala to go operational. “The plant itself is almost 100 percent complete. We have taken delivery of our raw materials.

We have received clinker and gypsum (imported raw materials), and we are currently mining pozzolana locally at Tombel and Batoke in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. In a week’s time, almost everything we need for production, will be ready”, Baba disclosed, while speaking to reporters at the site of Dangote Cement Plant at ‘Base Elf’ on the banks of the River Wouri in Douala, Littoral Region.

As for personnel, the GM disclosed that the company has already recruited most of its staff, and send them to various trainings in Nigeria and Senegal. “For example, we sent a set of Engineers to one of our ultra modern plants in Nigeria for two months. What we have left is the power sub-station being constructed at our plant. As you can see, it is receiving a lot of attention.

It is an ABB Compact System, and it is one of the most modern. We have experts from Europe trying to put finishing touches to the power sub- station. Connection by ENEO Cameroon has been programmed. In fact before December 20, ENEO will connect us to the national grid and then we will be ready to go,” he asserted.

ANOR And Labogenie In Quality Control

The GM of Dangote Cement Cameroon SA also disclosed that, once power is connected to the factory, test production will start by December 22. “We expect statutory quality tests before we can release the product into the market,” Baba said adding that the company will not be conducting the test alone, because, the State institution in charge of quality control, ANOR, will be involved in following up the quality control tests of the cement during the test production. Baba also revealed that the State owned Labogenie will as well be involved in the quality control tests, by carrying out its own independent tests of the product.

“We want that our product should be properly verified. That is our policy. We are confident of ourselves. Quality is our watchword. In fact, that is what we stand for. We pride ourselves with the quality of cement we produce in our plants across Africa. At the Dangote Cement Plant in Douala, we are going to produce nothing lower than the 42.5R Brand of cement, because it is our policy in the Dangote Group to always strive to deliver the best to the consuming public,” Baba stated.

He further asserted that if a company wants to compete in the modern world, it must take quality issues seriously, not only in terms of the final product, but also in terms of the equipment employed in the production.

“The new plant we have set up here in Cameroon is the most modern cement manufacturing plant you can find anywhere in the world. Our quality control system is one of the top notch,” Baba proudly declared.

As to when precisely the product from the Dangote Cement Plant in Douala should be expected in the market, the GM said: “After the statutory quality tests, we should hit the market by the beginning of January 2015, everything being equal.” He said the company has made a commitment to the Cameroon Government that it will only export cement after satisfying local demand.