Last week in Lagos, leading professionals from the West African cement, concrete and construction industries met at Totally Concrete West Africa to promote the safe, technical use of concrete. Currently only 3% of cement consumed in the region is used for infrastructure development. During the course of the discussions held last week at Totally Concrete West Africa, industry stakeholders such as Dr. George Dawson-Ahmoah, Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Ghacem in Ghana and Olivier Lenoir, Managing Director of the United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM), agreed that the region should be working towards a target of 30% of cement consumed to be used for infrastructure development.
Over 290 participants from 13 countries attended the event to benefit from a cutting edge technology display and conference sessions designed to improve concrete design mix for more durable construction in the region. Delegates learned about new developments in the local marketplace. In Nigeria there are new cement standards in place this year: 32.5 grade cement can be used for non-structural works while 42.5 grade cement is used for building structural elements and 52.5 grade cement should be used for structures such as bridges. In addition, technical tips such as using only clear potable water to mix cement were highlighted by industry veterans such as Bldr. Prof. Akin. Akindoyeni, President of the Green Building Council of Nigeria and Engr. Saliu Lawal, National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE).
The Keynote session was highlighted by the cement and concrete leader’s round table discussion with participation from Lafarge, UNICEM, Ghacem and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. The cement manufacturers agreed on the need to develop power industry expertise in response to regional power constraints and reliability. 50% of cement manufacturing costs are power costs, making this the single largest cost factor for local cement manufacturers. Some local manufacturers are developing captive power plants to generate a dedicated power supply. Although cement demand in neighbouring countries such as Ghana, where the depreciation of the Cedi has affected all sectors of the economy, is decreasing, Nigeria remains the largest cement producer in Africa with an annual cement production capacity of 22.5 million metric tonnes. Not only does Nigeria alone have a housing deficit of more than 17 million units but West Africa as a whole only has a current road access rate of 34%, demonstrating the vast opportunity for infrastructure build in the region.
Sponsored by Lafarge, Bodome and Nanocement Group, Touchwork and UNICEM and supported by 22 media and association partners including the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), Totally Concrete West Africa fostered public and private sector collaboration to develop industry skills, promote technology transfer, and achieve timely infrastructure delivery. “This is the first time I have seen a cement conference and exhibition of this calibre in Lagos,” says Vipul Agrawal, Technical Director of UNICEM Nigeria. Because concrete is a technical product that should be used and applied by trained professionals, Totally Concrete West Africa provided a vital platform for training and development in the local construction marketplace.
