Dangote Cement Plc invested N217 billion on its expansion programme across African countries during the 2014 financial year. The countries are Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroun, Congo, Ghana, Cote d’Iviore, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia.
The amount shows an increase of 55 per cent above the N140 billion invested in projects and normal capital expenditure in 2013.
In his report to the shareholders at the sixth annual general meeting in Lagos recently, Chairman of Dangote Cement, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said 2014 was the year in which the company achieved significant progress it’s goal to become a truly pan-African manufacture and distributor of cement.
“We began the year with three factories in Nigeria, a small import operation in Ghana and several building sites across Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result of the sizable investments that we have made over the past few years, Dangote Cement ended the the year with new lines in Nigeria, factories becoming operations in Senegal and South Africa,” he said.
According to him, Dangote Cement capacity increased from 21 million tonnes in January to more than 34 million tonnes at the end of 2014.
“As we were extending our geographical footprint across Africa, we consolidate our position in Nigeria by increasing our capacity from 20 to 29 million tonnes. I believe this has given us an excellent base from which to capture the growth in Nigeria, perhaps the most attractive cement market in the whole of Africa, averaging nearly a 10 per cent annual in ease since 2004,” he said.
The chairman disclosed that apart from expanding the scale and reach of its business, the company took many steps to make it more efficient and more accountable by welcoming two new independent directors and by engaging with experts in risk management, environmental care, social responsibility and better governance.
“As a result of all these initiatives, I believe our company is well on its way to be a global and respected force in cement production, operating odeon and efficient plants in exiting growth markets that will generate substantial returns for shareholders for many years to come,” he said.
Meanwhile, shareholders of Dangote Cement Plc have approved the N102 billion dividend recommended by the board for the 2014 financial year. They commended the board and management for the performance of the company amid the challenging operating environment.