Lafarge Africa to fast-track N100bn capacity expansion in AshakaCem

Lafarge Africa is expanding capacity in AshakaCem from one million tonnes to 4 million metric tons. The project entails N100 billion investments on existing and new plants as well as a coal-fired captive power plant (CPP) to supply regular electricity during the production process.

 

The building solutions provider has also expressed willingness to partner with the federal government  through the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) in rebuilding the ravaged region by contributing to its economic turnaround while paving the way for long- term prosperity of the area.

Guillaume Roux, managing director/chief executive officer (CEO), Lafarge Africa plc, made this pledge after a collaborative meeting with the PINE committee led by its chairman, Soji Adelaja, a professor, in Abuja last Wednesday.

According to Roux, Lafarge is a long term investor  in North East in particular and Nigeria in general, a fact that can be attested by the multinational’s continued presence and increasing investment in the region, despite the current security situation in the region.

He said collaborating with PINE was a step in the right direction as it would help to complete the ongoing N100 billion expansion project in AshakaCem in record time.

“PINE has contributed to our objective of staying in business in all circumstance since the beginning of the insurgence, and we are inclined to work more closely with the committee at a time like this because we view sustainability as a core part of our business. Lafarge is not only a producer of building materials, but a solutions provider for building better cities” he affirmed.

According to Adelaja, the partnership between PINE and Lafarge, as a major production and single largest employer in the North East region, is imperative to step up the leadership role of Lafarge as a corporate entity that identifies with the region and strives to accelerate its redevelopment. He urged other operators in the private sector to follow suit in such noble ventures, bearing in mind that the security of a nation is the bedrock for investment.

Through the partnership, Lafarge and PINE agreed to focus on key areas, including promotion of entrepreneurship, creating a framework for the attraction and retention of critical talents especially in the areas of health and education, use of Lafarge’s existing training centre to satisfy the pressing need for skills acquisition, development of modular classroom solution to return the children to schools, as well as contribution to the long-term ecological rejuvenation and preservation of the region’s physical environment.

Following the partnership agreement between the two bodies, Lafarge would be officially invited to be a member of the PINE Committee.