Dangote’s $480m Ethiopian cement factory for inauguration June 5

Alhaji Aliko Dangote

Dangote Cement Plc says it will inaugurate its 2.5 million tonnes per annum cement plant in Ethiopia on Thursday as the company inches towards the mark of 40 mtpa global production capacity before the end of 2015.

Located in Mugher District, the cement plant is said to be the single largest investment by an African in that country and the fifth offshore cement plant of the company to be rolled out in the last one year in Africa, coming after Senegal, Cameroon, South Africa and Zambia.

The statement by the Dangote Group on Sunday indicated that the government and the people of Ethiopia were excited about the completion of the project and the economic prospects of having such a huge company in their country.

It said the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Haile Desalegne, would perform the opening ceremony at an event expected be graced by top members of the Nigerian business community.

It added that nine other countries would soon join the list of hosting the Dangote cement factories as plants were in the various stages of construction.

“The company is investing $5bn to build an African cement empire, with factories plants in 14 African countries,” it said.

It recalled that the company’s $300m Greenfield cement plant in Senegal rolled out its products with the Senegalese government promising assistance to make the firm perform maximally.

The statement quoted the Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal and Mauritania, Mrs. Katyen Jackden, as saying, “I am very proud of what Dangote is doing by promoting intra-African investments, promoting regional development, industrialisation and cohesion among African nations with his investments.”