Lawmaker Calls For Critical Collaboration Between Political Leaders, Investors For Industrialisation

Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi, Chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals, has emphasised the importance of collaboration between Nigeria’s political leaders and investors to drive the nation’s industrialisation process.

The lawmaker, who stated that the need for collaboration between the two was critical when he led members of the Committee to the Dangote cement plant, Obajana, Kogi State, also praised the industrialisation stride of Dangote Group in Nigeria.

He explained that the joint visit by the Sub-Committees on Solid Minerals and Commerce was partly aimed at investigating the reasons behind the current cement prices and to seek collaborative efforts aimed at solving the issues.

Gbefwi expressed the delight of the team at the significant economic impact Dangote Group has made in the nation’s cement subsector, pointing out that Dangote Cement has contributed substantially to investments, job creation, and taxes in the country, among others.

The Group Managing Director of the Plant, Arvind Pathak, who responded on behalf of the organisation, explained that cement inputs are dollar-driven except for limestone, which is found in Nigeria.

Pathak said some of the inputs, including machinery, spare parts, the gas for fuel and gypsum, which is one of the raw materials, are dollar-driven, adding that the rise and instability in foreign exchange rates have been significant factors contributing to the current prices of cement products.

He observed that Dangote Group was Nigeria’s largest employer outside of government, just as he noted that compared to 2021, the salaries of the company’s employees have increased by 21.3 per cent in 2022 to 47.5 per cent in 2023 and 63.2 per cent in 2024.

In his remarks during a tour of the facility, the Plant Director, Engineer Nawabuddin, emphasised that the transport segment of the company has introduced CNG trucks to its fleet.

He also pointed out that the company has invested in alternative fuel projects to demonstrate its initiatives to clean up Nigeria.

Dangote Cement plans to build a multimillion-dollar Aliko Dangote Skills Development Centre in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State. The company is also one of the country’s largest taxpayers, surpassing the banking sector by 2023.