By Dipo Olowookere
The management of Dangote Group has described reports that its cement subsidiary, Dangote Cement, was the only company in Nigeria allowed to transport its goods to neighbouring countries through the land borders.
Recall that on August 20, 2019, the federal government announced an indefinite closure of the nation’s land borders, claiming the action was to stop smuggling and the importation of arms into the country used for terrorism in the northern part of Nigeria.
Bloomberg, in a report on Monday, said Dangote Cement was given the sole approval by the Nigerian authorities to export cement through the already closed land borders.
But the firm, in a statement to the media on Tuesday through its corporate communications department, explained that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), through its spokesman, Mr Joseph Attah, confirmed that BUA Group and one other firm in the oil/gas sector, also enjoyed from the FG’s gesture.
“Contrary to reports by Bloomberg that Dangote Cement was granted sole approval to export cement through the land borders, information has emerged that other companies also got approval to export through the land borders.
“Nigerian Customs Service has reportedly revealed that BUA Group and a gas company have also received presidential approval to move goods across the land borders.
“Joseph Attah, the spokesperson for Nigerian Customs Service, was said to have clarified on phone from Lagos,” the statement from Dangote to the media today, said.
“Dangote Cement and other companies in July 2020 got partial special dispensation to export their products with a certain sequence of crossing at Ilela land border in Sokoto State and Ohumbe land border in Ogun State,” the company clarified.
Also, the Group Chief, Branding and Communications, Dangote Group, Mr Anthony Chiejina, described the report as misleading and mischievous because it focused only on Dangote Cement as the sole beneficiary of the partial special dispensation.
Recall that in his presentation on investor call held this week, the CEO of Dangote Cement, Mr Michel Puchercos, had explained that the company is continuously focused on exporting cement to West and Central Africa by sea through its export terminals.
He added that six vessels of clinker were exported in the third quarter of 2020 via the Apapa export terminal, while plans are on track to commission the Port Harcourt export terminal before the end of this year.
For the quarter, Dangote Cement exported only 69 kilotonnes of cement via the land borders in contrast to previous volumes of 180 kilotonnes before the border closures, which indicates just 38 per cent of the export volumes.
