To further arrest the problem of building collapse and other construction failures allegedly caused by the preponderance of lower grade (32.5) of cement in the market, Dangote Cement yesterday announced the completion of the calibration of its factories across the country to produce 52.5 grade of the product.
With this, the company becomes the first cement company in Africa to achieve the feat.
For the past one month, major concerns have been raised by various interest groups, over the  standardisation of the essential product.
These stakeholders had warned that the prevalence of 32.5 cement grade in the market was a major cause of building collapse in the country, threatening to stage protests against cement manufacturers who produce the lower grade of the product.
In response to the stakeholders’ threat, Dangote Cement had announced that it produces only 42.5 grade of cement from its plants, while other cement makers tried to explain that the lower 32.5 grade did not pose the dangers identified by the stakeholders.
However, the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Devakumar Edwin, told journalists in Lagos that they had further demonstrated their commitment to delivering high quality and safe product to Nigerians, by raising the quality bar beyond the high grade 42.5 cement to a much higher grade of 52.5.
He said the company had commenced the production of the cement grade from all of its three plants in Ibese, Ogun State, Gboko, Benue State and Obajana in Kogi State.
Edwin said the cement giant had scored another first as the 52.5 grade of cement was being produced in Africa for the first time, thus attesting to the resolve of the company to be a leading international producer of the essential product.
