(Business in Cameroon) - During the first nine months of 2019, the Cameroonian subsidiary of Nigerian cement giant Dangote recorded a decline in its performance.

"Our 1.5Mta clinker grinding facility in Douala sold approximately 866t of cement in 9M 2019, a 6.0% fall on the 920Kt sold in 9M 2018. We estimate our market share to have been 40% during the period," Dangote Cement PLC indicated in its Q3, 2019, result statement.  

This drop in performance, the Nigerian explains, is mainly due to persistent security problems in the North-West and South-West regions. Indeed, since October 2016, economic activity has slowed down in the North-West and South-West due to combats between secessionists and defence forces. Several companies (CDC, SABC, MTN, Orange, etc.) are at a standstill in this part of the country or have relocated their headquarters or agencies.

In the first half of this year, Dangote was already complaining about the decline in its activity due to the socio-political crisis in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. During that period, the cement company reportedly sold approximately 0.6 million tonnes of cement, a decrease of 7.1% from 0.64 million tonnes sold in the first half of 2018.

S.A.