Dangote Group has commissioned the 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) installed capacity Zambia Cement Plant valued at $400 million, and a 30 megawatts coal-fired plant to power the factory.

The project was commissioned yesterday in Ndola, Zambia, as the company’s total output is expected to hit 45 million mmtpa on the African continent.

Speaking at the event, Vice President Osinbajo said that the projects were very significant to the bilateral relationship that exists between Nigeria and Zambia.

He lauded the government of Zambia and the people for having approved the projects and seing it to completion.

On his part, President Lungu of Zambia, said that his country has continued to enjoy cordial bilateral relationships with Nigeria over the years, assuring that his government will continue to encourage private sector initiatives.
“I invite other investors to genuinely come and invest in other sectors in Zambia,” he said.

The president/chief executive officer (CEO), Dangote Group, Alhaji Dangote, in his speech, said that the Zambian cement plant was the sixth out of his 14 cement plants in Africa to have started productions, adding that four new plants will be commissioned before the end of this year.

“We are spearheading the economic revolution in several African countries; we are a strong advocate of an African investing in Africa,” he said.

The special adviser to the president/CEO, Dangote Group, Mr Joseph Makoju, stated that with the investment, “Nigeria can now proudly claim to be the economic leader in Africa because this day, it is more about economic diplomacy rather than political diplomacy. So what Dangote is doing here is strengthening Nigeria’s position indisputably as a leader of Africa, economically and politically,” he said.

Tony Elumelu, lauded Dangote for the feat and described him as the only private sector investor driving cross-border investments in Africa.

“This is economic diplomacy and Dangote is helping to foster bilateral relationship between the countries in Africa,” he said.

Governor Oshiomole, of Edo State also hailed Dangote for playing pioneering role of Africans investing in Africa and creating jobs across the continent.