Business
FG Threatens To Open Border For Cement Importation

The federal government has threatened the possibility of opening the borders for cement importation if Nigerian cement manufacturers refuse to reduce cement price in the country.
It also said that although it is aware of the macroeconomic challenges facing the country, some of the key components of producing building materials, especially cement, are locally sourced, and considers the recurring disproportionate increase in the price of cement as unacceptable and unreasonable.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Dangiwa, made this known on Tuesday, February 20, in Abuja at an emergency meeting held with cement and building materials manufacturers.
Dangiwa who made the declaration said key input materials for cement production such as limestone, clay, silica sand, and gypsum sourced within our borders, should not be dollar-rated.
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He said the price of gas that manufacturers are using as an excuse should not be because gas is a raw material found within the country and the excuse of an increase in mining equipment should not come up because equipment bought by these manufacturers has been used for decades and not just purchased every day.
The minister said the border was closed to the importation of cement to help local manufacturers but if the government decides to open it back for mass importation, prices of cement would crash and local manufacturers would be gravely affected.
Dangiwa who called on the manufacturers to be more patriotic said BUA cement for instance has been willing and is still willing as at the last time he spoke with them to crash the price of their cement, lower than the N7000, N8000 agreed by the manufacturers and he sees no reason why the others should not do same.
