If you’re looking to start any construction project, how and where to purchase original cement will most likely be a huge consideration. Unfortunately, the market is flooded with fake cement and using counterfeit cement can compromise the strength and durability of your building. You’ve probably been wondering how you can tell if the cement you’re buying is genuine. This post contains some practical tips to help you identify fake cement.
Let’s get into it!
Check the PackagingFirst, always examine the packaging. Genuine cement brands pay attention to detail and for a notable brand like Dangote, you shouldn’t expect less. The bag should be well-sealed and made of high-quality material. Look for the brand name, logo, and manufacturing details. These should be clear and printed without smudges.
Additionally, check the weight. Standard cement bags weigh 50 kilograms. If the bag feels unusually light, it could be a huge red flag. If possible, use a weighing scale to confirm the weight if you have doubts.
Also, pay attention to the batch number and manufacturing date. Genuine cement bags have these details clearly printed. If they are missing or look tampered with, think twice before purchasing.
Another way to spot fake cement is by checking its color. Real cement such as Dangote Cement Blocmaster has a consistent grey color. The shade may vary slightly between brands, but it should always be uniform.
Fake cement, on the other hand, might have an unusual color. If you notice streaks of different shades or a completely different color, it’s likely a counterfeit product. Always trust your eyes; if it looks off, it probably is.
Quality cement feels smooth when rubbed between your fingers. To test, take a small amount of cement and rub it between your thumb and index finger. Genuine cement will feel smooth and fine, almost like talcum powder.
Fake cement, however, may feel gritty or coarse. This rough texture indicates impurities or substandard materials. If the cement doesn’t pass the smoothness test, it’s best to avoid using it as it may be a counterfeit product.
A simple water test can also help you identify fake cement. Take a small amount of cement and drop it into a bowl of water. Original cement including Dangote Cement Falcon Kwikset will float for a few seconds before sinking slowly to the bottom. This behavior is due to the fine particles and proper composition of real cement.
However, if the cement sinks immediately or dissolves quickly, it’s likely a fake. Poor-quality or counterfeit cement lacks the proper binding agents, which affects its behavior in water.
In many countries, including Nigeria, original cement is certified by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON). Look for the SON certification mark on the packaging. This mark indicates that the cement meets the required quality standards.
If the SON mark is missing, the cement may be counterfeit. Be cautious, as some fake products may try to mimic this mark. Ensure the mark looks authentic and is not just a poorly printed imitation.
Brand reputation is another important factor. Established brands like Dangote Cement PLC are less likely to produce counterfeit products. However, this doesn’t mean you should trust the brand name alone. Sadly, fake cement manufacturers often use names that closely resemble well-known brands. They may change a letter or use a similar logo to confuse buyers. Always verify the brand’s reputation and purchase from trusted suppliers.
Cement has a specific setting time, which is how long it takes to harden. Genuine cement typically starts to set within 30 minutes of mixing with water and it should reach its final setting within 10 hours. To test this, mix a small amount of cement such as Dangote Cement Blocmaster with water and observe how long it takes to set. If the cement hardens too quickly or takes much longer than expected, it’s likely fake.
If you’re still unsure, seek expert advice. Builders, contractors, and construction professionals can help you identify fake cement. They have experience and can spot counterfeit products more easily.
You can also take a sample of the cement to a laboratory for testing. While this may not be practical for every purchase, it’s a good option if you’re buying in bulk or for a critical project.
Finally, the best way to avoid fake cement is to buy from a trusted supplier. Reputable suppliers are less likely to sell counterfeit products. They value their reputation and usually source their products directly from manufacturers.
If you’re unsure about a supplier, do some research. Look for reviews or ask for recommendations from other builders. A little due diligence can save you from the costly mistake of using fake cement.
At Dangote cement, you can find the list of accredited distributors to ensure that you’re buying only original products.
Identifying fake cement is essential for any construction project. From checking the packaging to conducting simple tests, there are many ways to ensure you’re getting the real deal. Always be vigilant and trust your instincts. If something doesn’t seem right, it’s better to investigate further. By taking these precautions, you can protect your investment and ensure the longevity of your construction.
At Dangote Cement, we are committed to producing cement of dependable quality, so when you buy our product, you are not just buying cement, you are also buying a promise of strength .
CategoriesStrong earnings prospects from the new refinery
GCR Ratings (GCR) has affirmed the national scale long-term and short-term issuer ratings of AA+(NG) and A1+(NG) respectively accorded to Dangote Industries Limited (DIL). GCR in its recent report also affirmed the national scale long-term issue rating of AA+(NG) accorded to each of Dangote Industries Funding Plc’s Series 1 NGN10.5Bn Tranche A and NGN177.1Bn Tranche B Bonds and Series 2 NGN112.4Bn Senior Unsecured Bond. The outlook on the ratings has been revised to Evolving from Stable previously.
According to GCR, “the ratings were affirmed on the prospects of significant growth in earnings following the commencement of operations at the new petrochemical refinery and robust earnings expectation from the other businesses.”
In the report, the rating agency decried the impact of naira devaluation on DIL performance stating that, “the ratings are constrained by the adverse impact of the currency devaluation on the profitability and financial position of the group, given its significant foreign debt exposure.”
GCR in recognition of the potential of the Dangote Group added, “the group’s business profile is bolstered by the commencement of refining operations in February 2024 (with the production of diesel, Naphtha, heavy fuel oil, and aviation fuel), which now complements the already well-diversified group businesses.
Accordingly, we expect the group’s business fundamentals to become increasingly tilted towards oil refining, given its size as the largest refinery in Africa and Europe. We also expect strong export sales potential given the recent debut exports of refined oil to Europe. The non-oil businesses continue to demonstrate strong earnings generating capacity and market leaderships in their respective sectors, underpinned by the above-peer production capacities and favourable demographics.”
“We have maintained a positive peer comparison consideration for DIL underpinned by the importance of the refinery to the Nigerian economy. However, we have lowered the extent of support applicable under this rating component because we expect the support factors to translate to substantive enhancements to the group’s business and financial profiles over the outlook period. In 2022, DIL raised a cumulative NGN300Bn in Series 1 (Tranches A and B) and Series 2 Senior Unsecured Bonds issued by its sponsored special purpose vehicle, Dangote Industries Funding Plc. Being senior unsecured debt sponsored by DIL, the Series 1 Tranches A and B Bonds and the Series 2 Bond rank pari passu with all other senior unsecured creditors of the group.
Therefore, the Bonds bear the same national scale long-term rating as that accorded to DIL and any change in DIL’s long-term corporate rating would impact the Bonds ratings. We have reviewed the draft trustees’ bond performance report dated 24 May 2024 and note that the coupons have been paid as and when due and there were no breaches to any covenants and pledges in the trust deeds.
However, the group remains highly exposed to volatile energy cost dynamics and is reliant on importation of gypsum for cement, raw sugar input, and crude oil for the refinery” GCR stated.
Signs epochal Development Agreement with Okpella Communities
Management of Dangote Cement, Okpella, has signed a development and social support agreement with its Okpella Edo state host communities in demonstration of its commitment to the development and overall well-being of host communities and their people, as a responsible corporate entity
The signing of the Community Development Agreement (CDA) came just as the Edo state and the federal government commended the company for its proactiveness in planning for the growth of its host communities as a sure means of promoting peaceful co-habitation.
The Okpella Plant Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr Mohammed Ismaeel, at the CDA signing ceremony said the cement company has fully complied with the provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and that of the Minerals and Mining Regulation 2011 of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Signing the agreement on behalf of the company at Okpella, Mr Ismaeel said the ceremony was very significant in that it aimed at promoting harmonious and mutual benefits between the cement company and its host communities.
“Today’s occasion is not only a demonstration of our compliance to these regulatory provisions as a responsible corporate organization but it also a demonstration of our commitment to the development and overall wellbeing of our host communities.
“For us as a company, we believe in the mantra, good neighbourliness is good business, hence we are doing everything possible to maintain harmonious relationship with all the communities where we operate”, Ismaeel added.
He added that the occasion marks the beginning of concrete infrastructural development and social supports in the areas of education, improved access to health care, economic empowerment programmes targeted at the youths, women and the farming population, improved access to potable water, support to improve electrification and power supply among other things.
The Plant Director pointed out that the CDA also provides for scholarship grants for students in secondary and tertiary institutions to promote excellence in educational pursuits of indigent students from Dangote Cement, Okpella host communities.
He added that the CDA document clearly states the consultative framework for engagements, grievance management and obligations of both the Plant and the host communities for mutual growth and development stressing that, it is clearly a path to define relationships, commitments, obligations and expectations with potential to address immediate concerns and future social issues that may arise in the course of the relationship between the company and its host communities.
Ishmaeel then requested the host communities to keep their end of the bargain by supporting and collaborating with the company so as to foster all round development. “Be assured that we are always ready to listen, dialogue and resolve all concerns”, he noted.
Speaking on the occasion, the Edo State Commissioner for Mines and Energy, Hon. Donatus Ojiefoh, who represented the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, praised the company’s management for taking the path of peace with its host communities pledging by so doing, that the state governor will always support any investors who wants to invest in the state.
He assured the people of the communities that more investors are willing to come and invest in the state but that the people most be willing to cooperate and provide the enabling environment for them to operate.
Ojiefoh admitted that it is imperative for students to study the mineral resources that are abound in their communities in order to be able to appreciate them.
In her own remark, the host Etsako East Local Government Chairman, Mrs Benedicta Atu, commended the company for signing the agreement despite the odds and the delay occasioned by some factors saying it was good that the signing took place at the time.
She called on the companies operating within the local government to urgently help with the payment of the monumentization of the boundary between Okpella and Kogi State.
Speaking for the host communities, High Chief Afiabor Peter, Secretary, Ukhomunyio Council of Village Heads, Afokpella thanked the Dangote’s Cement for the signing of the CDA, saying that it was a welcome development as it will benefit all the parties involved.
He expressed confidence that all that are contained in the agreement were thorough reflections of the wish and aspirations of the host communities and promised that the host communities would be up and doing to fulfil their own side of the bargain.
Increases shareholders dividend by 50% to N30 per share
Amidst applause by shareholders for the impressive results in the 2023 financial year despite the harsh business operating environment, the Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote has announced an increase of 50 per cent on dividend payout to the shareholders, from N20.00 per share paid in the 2022 financial year to N30.00 for the last financial year 2023.
In the same vein, Dangote also revealed that arrangements are in top gear for thousands of the Company’s delivery trucks to henceforth run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in line with the Federal Government agenda on adoption of alternative fuel for official vehicles.
This decision, Dangote told excited shareholders at the 15 th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Dangote Cement Plc, held in Lagos was to add to the Federal Government’s quest towards reducing dependence on fossil fuel, thereby enhancing the nation’s energy independence and contributing to a more secure energy future.
According to him: “We are now going to start using CNG vehicles, especially with the new policy of the Federal Government, launched by the Renewed Hope Agenda by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu. By the end of next year, all our trucks that are operating in the company will be running on CNG, and that is a whole lot of money that we are going to invest. But we are equal to the task, and we will continue to push and make sure that we continue to make our shareholders happy.”
The Chairman disclosed to the shareholders the Company’s ongoing efforts at ramping up production with the ongoing construction of a new plant of 6 million metric tonnes per annum at Itori, in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State, noting that despite the hiccups at the Apapa Port in Lagos, the plant would be completed to time.
Dangote said the company’s impressive performance was in fulfillment of the promise he made of an enhanced Return on Investments (RoI) to the shareholders and other stakeholders in Dangote Cement, assuring them that the following year would even be better.
He expressed satisfaction that Dangote Cement achieved double-digit growth in revenue of ₦2,208.1 billion, while Group EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) reached a record high of ₦886.1 billion, increasing by 25.1%.
“This outstanding EBITDA performance was underpinned by our robust cost control measures and our diverse pan-Africa operations. The latter acted as a cushion, providing resilience to country-specific risks, while the former enhanced our overall profitability. Our pan-Africa operations now contribute 41.2% to the Group’s overall volumes,” he added.
Dangote pointed out,” We made significant strides in our expansion initiatives, with the successful launch of operations at our 0.45Mta grinding plant in Ghana, increasing our total installed capacity to 52.0Mta. Furthermore, our 1.5Mta grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire is making substantial progress and is nearing completion. Lastly, we have commenced construction on our 6Mta Itori plant in Ogun State, a crucial step in supporting our ambitious export goals.”
The 2023 results showed that Africa’s largest cement manufacturer recorded improvement in all performance measurement indicators with group revenue rising by 36.4 per cent to ₦2,208.1 billion while Profit after tax (PAT) was up by 19.2 per cent to ₦455.6 billion. Earnings per share went up by 18.8 per cent at ₦26.47. Dangote Cement is garnering more market share across the continent with pan-Africa volumes going up by 12.7 per cent to 11.3Mt.
In his interview with the media during the AGM, the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement Plc, Arvind Pathak said 2023 was yet another testament to the effectiveness of the management’s diversification strategy, despite the challenging macroeconomic conditions.
He said; “Our diverse operations acted as a cushion, providing resilience to country-specific risks. Pan-African volumes were up 12.7 per cent and now account for 41.2 per cent of Group volume. Consequently, pan-African revenue increased by a record 123.2 per cent to ₦925.9 billion, while EBITDA surged by over four-fold to ₦263.7 billion.”
Alluding to what Dangote said on use of CNG as an alternative fuel for its cement trucks, Pathak noted that in response to the heightened inflationary environment, “we implemented new and innovative business strategies that helped to drive up revenues, contain costs, and protect margins. These initiatives included fuel mix optimisation, propelling the use of alternative fuels to replace more expensive fossil fuels. We also began the phased transition from diesel power trucks to full Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks.”
Shareholders one after another were full of praise for the board and management of the Company for the impressive outing in 2023, which accounted for the dividend payout of N30 per share; an increase of 50 per cent over the 2022 dividend despite the economic headwind that characterised 2023.
Mrs. Bisi Bakare, Chairperson of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association lauded the management of Dangote Cement for what she described as a huge dividend payout even when many other companies could not pay their shareholders a dime because they declared losses.
She stated that the shareholders were happy, and expressed optimism that with the way the management has steered the Company in the face of the current economic downturn and recorded good results, the 2024 dividend will be higher.
In his comment, the President, of the Association for the Advancement of Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), Dr. Faruk Umar said the shareholders could not but thank the board and management of Dangote Cement for a job well done. He noted that no company, in recent time, has been able to be as profitable as Dangote Cement, just because of the sound judgment of the management in navigating the murky economic weather which has had negative impact on results of some other companies.
He commended Dangote for his patriotism and dedication to the cause of Nigeria and her people with his decision to reduce prices of his petroleum products. He expressed hope that the price of Premium Motor Spirit popularly called petrol would come down once the Dangote Refinery rolls out the product soon.
Prominent Traditional rulers from Dangote Cement Ibese host communities have commended the leadership ingenuity of the outgoing Plant Director, Azad Nawabuddin saying his pleasant personality has boosted the cordial relationship between the cement company and the host communities.
It was a moment of accolades for Mr Nawabuddin, during a send forth ceremony organized for him by the Ibese Plant to bid him farewell to Obajana where he has been transferred, as the monarchs one after the other took turn to shower encomiums on him.
The Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Mulero described the erstwhile Plant Director as a bridge builder whose leadership and administrative style has influenced better collaborations between the host communities and the Dangote Cement in so many areas.
He said the communities witnessed good projects and enjoyed employment enhancing empowerment programmes during the time of Nawabuddin as the Plant Director and would have wished he stayed longer. “Nevertheless, we are happy that the company management recognized his worth and has decided to second him to a bigger plant after all, the reward for hard work is more work.”
In his own remark, the Olu of Aga Olowo, Oba Kayode Adio Kusoro, said the relationship between the host communities and the Dangote Cement, Ibese has never been more cordial than during the tenure of Mr. Nawabuddin as the Plant Director and that his disposition to the community issues has been very commendable.
“The Plant Director is a good man. He listens to us. He is always concerned whenever we have issues to sort out. And that is why he has also enjoyed our cooperations, the communities, the youths, the women and the royal fathers.”, Olu of Aga Olowo stated.
Amidst applause form the staff and the invited guests, the Head, Social Performance, Ibese Plant, Mr. Ade Ojolowo as part of gestures to eulogize the former Ibese Plant Director and described his administration as very eventful while reeling out some milestones that characterized the stay of Mr. Nawabuddin as the head of the cement plant.
Said he: permit me to share with this gathering, some of the key indicators of the outstanding performance of Mr. Nawabuddin Azad in the course of his leadership of this Plant. His time marked an Increase in Ibese Plant Kilns’ Mean Time Before Failure(MTBF) and reduction in production downtime: Ibese Plant’s Year End average Kilns MTBF was between 181 to 200 minutes until Mr. Azad became the Plant Director. He introduced the use of Asonic Horns and ID fans tipping in all the four Lines to get to the current level of between 580 to 600 minutes. This is over 90% above the budgeted figure of 300 minutes, and has led to significant reduction in production downtime.
“Production volume and dispatch increase: The Plant also witnessed increase in cement production volume from about 6.7 million tons in 2018 to about 7.9 million tons and increase in Cement Dispatch to about 8.0 million tons under the leadership of Mr. Azad.
“In-house refurbishment of Rollers and attendant Forex Savings: DCP used to procure Raw Mills & Cement Mills Roller assemblies for replacement from overseas before Mr. Azad joined Ibese as PD. Procurement of these roller assemblies was stopped through his ingenuity, and in-house refurbishment of the old rollers commenced. This has been successfully implemented till date, with savings of over 500,000 Euros so far.
“Championing of Alternative Fuels Project: Ibese Plant is at the forefront of the DCP’s vision to get into International carbon trading after benchmarking its carbon footprint. Thanks to the introduction of the Alternative Fuels Project, which also has led to the stoppage of importation of expensive & high CO2 emission factor, coal. Agro-waste usage and substitution of coal saved the company 2.77 million USD and 17.3 million USD in the year 2022 and 2023 respectively, and the saving is expected to go higher in 2024 due to the just completed AF projects in all the four lines.
“As a friend of the community, Mr. Azad’s passion for the local communities as critical stakeholders to the Plant is outstanding. Our modest achievements in Social Performance in the last couple of years has been through his personal values and commitment, which has yielded unhindered support and collaboration.
“We have been able to record some firsts in our intervention programmes, including the Annual community day event; Women empowerment programme; Care for the elders, and Support for the vulnerable during festive periods etc. It is also to his adulation that we have recorded improved social investment delivery, improved relationship with key government functionaries, and overall local content development.”
