The Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment has stepped in to mediate in the battle between Dangote Cement Plc and Lafarge Plc, on the one hand, and Ibeto Cement Company Limited on the other, over the control of the nation’s cement market, THISDAY investigations have revealed.
For the past few weeks, local cement manufacturers led by Dangote Cement and French multinational Lafarge, and an importer of bulk cement, Ibeto Cement, have been at daggers drawn.
Dangote and Lafarge have accused Ibeto Cement of causing a crippling cement glut, which has led to the closure of the Gboko plant run by Dangote Cement and might force cement producers to lay off workers.
But Ibeto Cement has vehemently dismissed the claim, accusing them of being economical with the truth and insisted that the company’s five per cent share of the market could not have induced a glut.
