Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Over 2,000 trucks worth $150 million have been acquired by Dangote Cement Plc to aid the smooth distribution of its products across Nigeria.
The heavy-duty vehicles trucks purchased by the leading cement maker included trailers, bulk tankers, tippers, cargo trucks and bulk cement tankers.
Dangote Cement is optimistic that these assets would address challenges related to the ease of distribution and availability of cement across the country, especially among its value-chain service providers and create employment of over 4,000 people in the country.
In addition, the newly acquired trucks are expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Dangote Cement Logistics network of distribution nationwide, as the company plans to commission its new cement plant in Okpella Edo State in a few weeks.
Besides, Dangote Fertiliser, which recently made a grand entry into the market, has already taken delivery of 500 trucks from Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited (a joint venture between Dangote Industries Limited and Sinotruk China) for the distribution of Urea to different States in Nigeria.
“We have acquired the new trucks in line with our new expansion capacity in Obajana, Ibese, Gboko and the new cement plant at Okpella.
“The acquisition is due to the growing needs of the business, especially as regards the increased trucking demands encountered lately, due to the surge in the demand for cement,” the Group Executive Director in charge of Logistics and Distribution at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Abdu Dantata, stated.
“The establishment of our clinker export terminals at Apapa and Onne Port led to the purchase of heavy-duty tippers for haulage of clinker from the plants to the terminals.
“The introduction of these trucks would improve customers’ demand, improve on job creation in the country, as well as promote the economic development of Nigeria,” he added.
Mr Dantata disclosed that the company takes seriously the issue of safety of truck drivers and road users, which necessitated the collaboration between the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the company to attain zero tolerance to road crashes in the country. He said the company has embarked on adequate training on effective driving techniques.
According to him, the collaboration involves recertification of drivers, pre-trip and post-trip inspection, drug test, real-time tracking of vehicles, root cause analysis, convoy movement, checkpoint policy and sanctions among several others.
The locally assembled Sinotruk Howo trucks came in as semi-knocked-down kits (SKD), which were effectively assembled and commissioned for operations.
Mr Dantata, who coordinates the group Logistic and Transport function, assured that the Dangote Sinotruk would continue the importation of semi-knocked-down kits into the assembling plant to support customers’ demand and improve on job creation in the country.
