Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s leading cement production company, has rolled out over 2,000 trucks worth $150 million for distribution services, with the target to assuage the challenges affecting the ease of distribution and availability of cement across the country, especially among its value-chain service providers.
The investment, according to the company, includes purchase of trucks, trailers, bulk tankers, tippers, cargo trucks and bulk cement tankers which are expected to meet the expected increase in demand for transportation of cement to every part of the country and create employment for over 4,000 Nigerians.
In addition, Dangote Fertiliser, which recently marked its arrival into the market, took delivery of 500 trucks from Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited, a joint venture between Dangote Industries Limited and Sinotruk China, for the distribution of urea to different states across the country.
The newly acquired trucks are expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Dangote Cement logistics network of distribution nationwide, as the company plans to commission its new cement plant in Okpella Edo State in a few weeks.
Abdu Dantata, group executive director, logistics and distribution, Dangote Industries Limited, said the company acquired the new trucks in line with its expansion capacity in Obajana, Kogi State; Ibese,Ogun State; Gboko, Benue State, and the new cement plant at Okpella, Edo State.
Dantata explained that the acquisition was necessitated by the growing needs of the business, especially as regards to increased trucking requirements encountered lately, due to the surge in the demand for cement. He added that the establishment of clinker export terminals at Apapa and Onne Port led to the purchase of heavy duty tippers for haulage of clinker from the plants to the terminals.The introduction of the trucks, he noted, would improve customers’ demand, improve job creation in the country, as well as promote the economic development of Nigeria.
Dantata further stressed that the company has taken into full consideration the safety of its truck drivers and road users, leading to a collaboration between the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the company to attain zero tolerance to road crashes in the country. According to him, the collaboration involves adequate training on effective driving techniques, recertification of drivers, pre-trip and post-trip inspection, drug test, real time tracking of vehicles, root cause analysis, convoy movement, checkpoint policy and sanctions among several other safety measures.
