By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria has embarked on a 5-day strike due to increase in the prices of cement and other building materials.
The group’s leader, Mr Rasco Adebowale, disclosed that the strike action commenced on Monday nationwide.
Mr Adebowale said that members of the association might be forced to also increase the price of blocks to reflect the new prices of the building construction materials, which have skyrocketed in recent times.
He noted that there have been a 50% increase in the price of raw materials used in moulding blocks particularly cement which went from N1,600 to N2,300 last week.
“We won’t really call it a strike but a break for one week after which we will decide on a new price for blocks following the increase in price of cement. As the price of cement has gone up, we are at a loss on how to sell blocks; so, we have called all our leaders in the six geo-political zones of the country to decide on the way forward.
“Starting from today (Monday), we will not work, sell or supply blocks to anywhere or anybody. This will enable us to work out how to sell our products throughout the federation. Cement is our major ingredient and we do not want to compromise on quality,” Mr Adebowale explained.
Last week, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria raised prices of their various brands by N600 per bag as factory price and an additional N100 for the cost of haulage.
This was immediately followed by a hike by distributors and retailers to between N2,300 and N2,500, depending on the brand and location of the seller.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Adedapo Adesanya