By Ayomide Otitoju
Lafarge Africa Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local cement production with the expansion of its Sagamu Cement Plant in Ogun State and Ashaka Cement Plant in Gombe State.
The building solutions company said in a statement on Wednesday that the two new facilities would operate as dry plants, equipped with preheater kilns, vertical raw mills and roller presses for cement mills, aimed at improving energy efficiency and operational performance.
In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public, signed by the Company Secretary, Adewunmi Alode, Lafarge Africa said the expansion of the Ashaka and Sagamu plants is expected to raise production capacity to two million metric tonnes per annum and 3.5 million metric tonnes per annum, respectively, upon completion.
The company noted that the expansion would enhance product availability and strengthen its ability to serve customers more efficiently across key markets.
The development follows the announcement last year that Huaxin Building Materials Group acquired 83.81 per cent of Lafarge Africa Plc, a move the company said underscores the group’s commitment to Nigeria’s infrastructure development.
Commenting on the projects, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge Africa Plc, Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, said the expansions reflect the company’s long-term confidence in Nigeria’s economic growth and are designed to support the country’s infrastructure and construction needs.
He explained that the projects go beyond increasing capacity to deliver operational and sustainability benefits, while supporting value creation for customers and shareholders and contributing to economic activity and job creation within host communities and the wider construction ecosystem.
According to Alade-Akinyemi, the expansion represents a strategic investment that reinforces Lafarge Africa’s role in national development by strengthening its supply chain, improving responsiveness to market demand and positioning the company to better support critical sectors such as housing, commercial construction and infrastructure.
He added that the projects would enable the integration of modern production technologies to enhance efficiency, reliability and environmental performance, in line with the company’s commitment to responsible operations.
Lafarge Africa said it remains focused on the disciplined execution of its expansion plans and transparent engagement with stakeholders as it continues to invest in strengthening its operations across Nigeria.
