Steve Agbota
The Federal Government has granted exemption to three companies namely Dangote Cement, BUA and a gas firm to recommence exports across the nation’s land borders.
The three companies were exempted from the ongoing land border closure policy, which came into force on August 20, 2019 based on the request of some West African countries who are in dire need of some items.
The government reportedly gave approval for Africa’s biggest producer to export cement to Niger and Togo in the third quarter for the first time in ten months.
Speaking with Daily Sun on this development, spokesman of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), DC Joseph Attah, explained the border closure started in August last year and that the three firms were exempted due to one special request for some items direly needed in some West African countries.
“The Presidency graciously granted Presidential approval for three companies only to export those items to people that are requesting for them, which has nothing to do with ongoing national border closure negotiation and diplomatic engagement still going on.
“Presidential approval was granted to three companies namely Dangote, BUA and one other company that export gas. I cannot remember the name of the gas supply company now, but the company supplies gas to Niger and other West African countries. The presidential approval was granted about three to four months back,” he said.
Meanwhile, contrary to reports by Bloomberg that Dangote Cement was granted sole approval to export cement through the land borders, information has emerged that other companies also got approval to export through the land borders. Nigerian Customs Service has reportedly revealed that BUA Group and a gas company have also received presidential approval to move goods across the land borders.
Joseph Attah, the spokesperson for Nigerian Customs Service, was said to have clarified on phone from Lagos.
Dangote Cement and other companies in July, 2020 got partial special dispensation to export their products with certain sequence of crossing at Ilela land border in Sokoto State and Ohumbe land border in Ogun State, the company clarified.
Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Cement, Michel Puchercos, in his presentation on investor call held this week explained that the company is continuously focused on exporting cement to West and Central Africa by sea through its export terminals. He added that six vessels of clinker were exported in the third quarter of 2020 via the Apapa export terminal, while plans are on track to commission the Port Harcourt export terminal before the end of this year.
For the quarter, Dangote Cement exported only 69 kilotonnes of cement via the land borders, compared to previous volumes of 180 kilotonnes before the border closures, which indicates just 38 per cent of the export volumes.
Also in a reaction to the Bloomberg publication, the Group Chief, Branding and Communications, Dangote Group, Mr. Anthony Chiejina, said the report is misleading and mischievous because it focused only on Dangote Cement as the sole beneficiary of the partial special dispensation.
According to him, “Dangote Cement is a publicly quoted company and complies strictly with the Securities & Exchange Commission(SEC) and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) full disclosure clauses and regularly update transparently our transactions to our shareholders and it is disheartening that such honest disclosure is being interpreted negatively.”
