BUA Cement has said that it was not granted blanket approval to export cement despite a land border closure but was given limited approval by the Federal Government to export to Niger Republic due to proximity to its cement plant.
BUA disclosed this in a social media statement on Tuesday evening after reports that both BUA and Dangote were given approvals to trade through Nigeria’s borders that have been closed since October 2019.
READ: Dangote Cement to extend clinker export to other African countries
What you should know
Nairametrics reported on Tuesday that the Nigerian government granted
Dangote Cement the approval to export Cement to West African countries through Nigeria’s land borders, which have been closed for over a year.
This got the attention of other businessmen including
Atedo Peterside who
said: “
Allowing legitimate exporters & importers to move their goods across the border should be a no-brainer. Why refuse everybody else & allow only one company (Dangote)?”
“This is why some of us argue that the Nigerian economy is rigged in favour of a handful of well-connected persons,” he added.
Responding to a
tweet by
Atedo Peterside, who said the FG should consider small businesses that are not so well connected after news of
BUA’s approval went viral, the Cement maker replied: “
BUA Cement does not have any blanket approval to export and the Nigerian borders remain closed.”
“BUA Cement was granted a limited approval to export some cement to Niger Republic (which is 100kms from our plant), and this was disclosed in our half-year results and presentations to the investing and general public,” it added.