Jean-Christophe Servant, The Fascinating Rise of Nigerian Cement Billionaires (Le Monde Diplomatic

as A cement factory lights up at dawn in Ovahana, Kogi State, central Nigeria. Across the road from barbed wire fences and watchtowers, the city sank into darkness as tin-roofed buildings stood. Godwin Agada, a mechanic who has lived here for 20 years, says, “Despite the fact that he makes a huge profit here, our neighbors have done very little for us. We can’t drink, we have asthma on the rise, two wells have been dug, but we eat dust, so we are still waiting for the progress promised by the Dangote Group.

While resentment against Western and Chinese multinationals is common in Africa, the Kogi people’s animosity is directed against Dangote Cement plc, founded in 1977, and a pillar of the economy across Africa. $2 billion in sales.

This makes Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist Aliko Dangote (66 It is the core business of the conglomerate led by Mr. Dangote, also known as “Prince of Kano” after his second city in Nigeria, where he was born, has a wealth of experience in everything from food processing (flour, salt, pasta, beverages, packaging) to real estate and port logistics. I manage various corporate groups. He’s trying to move into refining oil and urea (used as a fertilizer and feed supplement), but it’s cement where he still owes over 85% of his personal assets.

One of three Dangote-owned facilities in Nigeria, the Obajana cement plant is the largest on the continent. He acquired the company and its limestone quarry from Kogi State in his 2003. The former state-owned enterprise, which was upgraded and reopened in 2008, now has five production lines. The modernization and expansion of the plant, which has about 1,000 trucks, involved the World Bank and (…)

Full article: 3 345 words.