Africa: How Lafarge Tried to 'Frustrate' Dangote's Cement Expansion in Africa - Obasanjo
[Premium Times] "The people who really didn't want Aliko to succeed in cement production is a French company called Lafarge, and they put every obstacle on Aliko's way, just as they are still doing to us today," Mr Obasanjo said.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused the French cement company Lafarge of obstructing Aliko Dangote's expansion into the cement industry across Africa. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for a $16 billion oil refinery project in Lamu, Kenya, Obasanjo claimed Lafarge put every obstacle in Dangote's path, continuing to do so even today.
The former president cited a bitter dispute in Senegal as a particularly traumatic experience for Dangote, where local residents, allegedly incited by Lafarge, challenged his ownership of the land on which a 5-million-tonne cement plant had been built. Despite winning in court, Dangote was forced to pay $12 million to continue operating the factory.
Obasanjo attributed Dangote's success to Nigerian government policy and private-sector investment, which enabled the Dangote Group to establish large-scale cement plants in Nigeria and later expand into Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Senegal. The Dangote Group's expansion beyond Nigeria, according to Obasanjo, demonstrated the potential of African economic integration, urging the continent to take integration seriously.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
