To achieve self-sufficiency in production, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN) plans to achieve an estimated supply of 17 mmt this year. Executive Secretary, CMAN, Mr James Salako, disclosed this in Lagos. To achieve this, Salako said new cement plants with combined capacity of 14 mmt are being constructed and are all expected to come on stream at different periods of the year. "This year, we expect all the new facilities at present under construction to come on stream. All things being equal, we expect to start 2012 with a total installed capacity of 28 mmtpa. We do not expect anything less than 60 per cent performance from most of the new plants in 2012. Investments in the industry is ongoing and if the Federal Government continues with the strict implementation of the Backward Integration Policy, our expectation is that more new entrants will come into the business of cement manufacturing and the present tempo of growth in the cement industry will be sustained," the association said.
Again, the association said the ultimate is not just to become self sufficient in cement production, but to become a net exporter of the product, adding that the Federal Government has given 2013 for the achievement of self-sufficiency in cement production. On pricing, the CMAN boss noted that manufacturers have maintained stable ex-factory prices over the past 18 months.