(Business in Cameroon) - In April 2015, Dangote Cement, who has just started producing cement in its Douala plant, in the Cameroonian economic capital, clearly announced its ambition to take 30% of market share in the same year. A year later, the news is rather good. Indeed, as at end April 2016, this cement factory had 50.18% of market share in Cameroon, Paavo Wiro, Country Manager for Dangote Cement Cameroon, announced this past 14 February.

Less than 2 years after the launch of its activities in Cameroon, the cement factory of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote thus supplants the Lafarge group (now Lafarge-Holcim), which previously dominated the local cement market for 48 years, in a monopolistic position.

This performance can be explained by the very fast growth in the Dangote Cement distribution network. Indeed, from the start of its operations, and facing a disagreement with Cameroonian transporters on the conditions of distribution of its cement, the Dangote group imported in Cameroon 200 brand new trucks, to supply the market.

Nowadays, even local transporters distribute Dangote cement. To the point where, the Country Manager of Dangote Cement Cameroon announced that only 20% of the 900,000 tons of cement sold in 2016 were distributed using the company’s trucks, against 80% for local subcontractors.

Brice R. Mbodiam