FG Considers Cement Importation to Counter Rising Prices by Local Manufacturers

Federal Government has threatened to re-open Nigeria’s land border for the importation of cement, as part of moves to crash the price of the building material.

Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, issued the threat on Tuesday in Abuja, at a meeting with top executives of cement and building material manufacturers in the country.

The minister said the disproportional increase in prices of the products is unacceptable and unreasonable to the government.

Dangiwa said the federal government closed Nigeria’s border to the importation of cement to help the local cement plants thrive.

He however warned that the federal government if pushed to the wall over the rising prices of cement, would re-open the border to allow massive importation of cement to crash the price of the product.

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The minister rejected the excuse made by the cement manufacturers that they were compelled to raise the price of cement, because of the rise in the costs of gas and equipment they were using in mining.

Dismissing the claim, the minister said the gas was being sourced locally, while the equipment was purchased years ago and was not an item they purchased yearly.

Earlier, the Dangote group chief commercial officer of Dangote Cement, Rabiu Umar had complained over the high costs of gas and mining equipment.