The United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited (Unicem) a leading manufacturer and supplier of cement in the South-South and South-East of Nigeria is investing N84b naira in an additional 2.5m metric tons (state of the art) cement line to double the existing capacity to 5 million metric tons per annum by 2016 as well as consolidate its position as Nigeria’s third largest manufacturer of cement in the country.
A Chinese construction firm Sinoma Group is constructing the 2.5m metric tons new cement line. The company is reputed for cement plant construction across the globe with track record of project delivery from previous projects handled around the world. The project includes the building of a new 45 megawatts captive power plant (CPP) by Wartsila Nigeria Limited.
Work on the project has already started. The cement giant is getting technical expertise and support for this project from its shareholders who are global cement majors.
Managing Director of Unicem Olivier Leonir said cement demand in the country has continued to grow nationally and regionally specially within the South-South and South-East regions with demand currently growing at about 12 percent per annum.
Leonir who was addressing Journalists Tuesday at the Conference room of the company corporate Headquarters, Diamond Hill, Calabar, Cross River State said the project has a lot of economic and social benefits to the people of Cross River State and its neighboring communities a the project will create direct and indirect employment and growth of the local economy of the people.
The managing Director said “Unicem has strong commitment to develop local capacity through various initiatives such as the Unicem Community Development Initiative (UCID) and Graduate Trainee Scheme, we have been enlisting and training young people from the community as mechanical technicians and training of young Graduate Engineers to fill the local manpower gap.”
Leonir said Unicem is currently building a N5 billion 20km cement evacuation road infrastructure to cater for the expected traffic increase and reduce the movement of articulated vehicles within the Calabar metropolis when the project is completed.
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