By Oyibo Salihu
Lokoja
President, Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has confirmed that the $600 million cement factory in Tanzania has reached 25% completion and that the group is already making plans for its commissioning.
Speaking last weekend while conducting round the Tanzania President, Dr Jakaye Mrisho Kikwete round the Obajana plant of the group, who was in Nigeria to World Economic Forum (WEF) last week, Dangote said the Obajana plant is slightly bigger than what is being built Tanzania but pointed out that the plants are of the same technology.
According to him, when the plant is completed, it will have capacity to turn out 3 million metric tons of cement in a year, stressing that the group is targeting 16 African countries for cement production and Tanzania is already one of them the countries has captured.
He said the President of Tanzania who was in Nigeria on official visit decided to visit Obajana to have first-hand knowledge of the giant cement factory in the country.
In his remark, the Tanzania, President Dr. Jakaye Mrisho kikwete stated that he has heard a lot of stories and read on the pages of newspapers about the Obajana cement company as the largest in Sub-sahara Africa and decided to pay a visit to see things for himself.
Dr Kikwete, while describing Dangote’s Obajana factory as having state of art facilities, noted that Alhaji Aliko Dangote has shown that he is a reliable partner and his country is very ready to collaborate with him in establishing the cement factory.
He expressed optimism that the cement factory under construction in Tanzania will be the one of the best in the world.