By VENTURES AFRICA
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote plans to build a $350 million cement plant which will produce 1.5 million tonnes (annually) in the Republic of Niger.
Speaking with journalists after a meeting with Niger Republic President, Issoufou Mahamadou in the country’s capital, Niamey, Dangote said the plant would produce its own electricity with an anticipated surplus to be used to bolster Niger’s currently unreliable power output.
Niger currently has only one cement plant, built in 1964, with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes.
With the proposed investment from Dangote, the country will not only witness a rise in the availability of cement and electricity supply, it will help provide jobs for unemployed Nigereins.
“The realisation of this project will create 6,000 to 7,000 jobs,” the business mogul said.
Dangote’s decision to establish a cement plant in Niger follows a similar investment in Kenya last month. The billionaire “cement king” announced plans to invest $400 million in a cement plant in the East African nation during Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the country.
Africa’s biggest cement producer, Dangote Cement announced in May this year that it would be investing $5 billion to expand its African production capacity to 55 million tons by 2016.
Other countries under consideration for investment include Cameroon, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
