Economy
Dangote Simplifies Block Moulding with BlocMaster Cement
By Dipo Olowookere
Builders and other stakeholders have lauded the BlocMaster Cement which was formally launched by Dangote Cement Plc last week in Kano, Kano State, describing it as extra strong and the best for block moulding in Nigeria.
Before it was officially rolled out, the innovative cement product had been adjudged ideal by the country’s engineers, builders and block makers, due to its rapid setting within an hour, its strength and top quality.
Multitude of block makers in attendance lauded the company’s innovate efforts and after a demonstrative test also confirmed its strength and asserted that surely, it is the best product for building construction for now, from the stable of Dangote cement.
Speaking at the official unveiling of the cement, Kano State Governor, Mr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, called on all Nigerians to patronize the new cement to help minimize the menace of collapse building in the country.
The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Usman Alhaji, commended the management of Dangote Group, adding that it has always been supportive in all sectors of the economy.
Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc Eng. Joe Makoju said the new brand is a product of years of deep research, adding that it has been tested and approved by builders nationwide.
According to him, it is strong and affordable to Nigerians because of its rapid setting, especially during raining season.
“This is a new era. This is a new quality. This is a product of research,” Mr Makoju said.
Speaking, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Oare Ojeikere, said the new cement is multipurpose and very strong, urging Nigerians to adopt it for all construction purposes.
He said he was happy that hundreds of builders in Kano had used it before the launch.
The immediate past chairman, Nigeria Institute of Building and Director Consultancy Services, Science and Technical Schools Board, Kano State Abdullahi Alhassan SanSan said he was elated because the new cement block will address the issue of collapse building in the country.
Speaking also at the event, Manager Magina Blocks Industries Kano, Mr Nura Musa Yahayah, said he has used the block and can therefore recommend it to Nigerians.
According to him, “I can recommend this product. I have personally used it and I am very convinced that it is the best for those of us who are in the business of cement moulding. It is strong and sets very fast. This is the product that we need at this time and we are grateful to the management of Dangote Cement for giving us this product.”
Chairman Kano State Concrete Block Makers and Allied Products Association, Mr Umar Faruk Musa, said the cement innovation will translate into more income for block makers and in the long run for Nigeria.
He commended Mr Aliko Dangote for yet another giant stride, a week after a flour brand was unveiled by the same group.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
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By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
