The price of cement in Nigeria changes like quicksilver. In fact, cement is one of the few consumer products in the country that change price very frequently despite the fact that it’s not an imported commodity. And worse, the price isn’t even the same in all parts of the country. What obtains in Kano, for example, would be different from the prices in Lagos. And that’s why you can easily get confused when trying to ascertain the current cement price in Nigeria, especially if you’re searching on the Internet.

With the above in mind, we’ve decided to come up with this post, which details the current prices of the various brands of cement available in Nigeria. We understand that these prices change very often, so we’d try to update the page as market prices change. Our aim is to give accurate information on the subject, and we would implore you to assist in this task. If you know of any new price changes that are not effected on this page, or you have some additional information related to cement price in Nigeria, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.

Current prices of cement in Nigeria (as of today)

PRICES LAST UPDATED: July 12, 2021.

NOTE: The price of cement isn’t uniform in all parts of Nigeria. Most of the time, the prices in Lagos, especially the high-profile areas, are slightly higher than the prices obtainable in other parts of the country. In fact, a 50kg bag of cement in Lagos can cost as much as N200 more than the standard market price. However, you’re unlikely to get anything less than the standard market price.

So, to be on the safe side, always add about N200 to the current prices displayed on this page if you’re in Lagos or any other part of the country where the costs of goods and services are usually higher.

How much is a bag of cement in Nigeria?

As of present, the retail price of cement in Nigeria is ₦3,600 — ₦3,900 per bag, depending on brand, location, and other factors. And the wholesale price (600 bags) is ₦2,100,000 to ₦2,350,000, depending on the manufacturer.

Why the price of cement in Nigeria fluctuates endlessly and keeps increasing

The frequent fluctuations in cement prices in the country are due to a number of worrisome factors, which are making business difficult for cement manufacturers in the country. While some of these factors can be easily controlled by the manufacturers themselves, others are totally beyond their control. Here are some of the factors responsible for the ever-increasing and unstable prices of cement in Nigeria, despite the ban on importation of cement into the country.

High maintenance costs: Because cement manufacturing involves heavy-duty machinery and huge facilities, the cost of maintenance can be very high. This makes the day-to-day running of cement manufacturing plants very expensive. And to remain profitable, manufacturers have to increase prices.

High distribution costs: When it comes to distributing and delivering goods, it’s common knowledge that cost of delivery is directly proportional to the weight of conveyed goods. This explains why manufacturers spend heavily to distribute the commodity, which is quite heavy due to its nature and composition. This explains why most manufacturers prefer to establish their plants in locations close to their target customers, and why most plants cover only proximal geographical areas.

Erratic power supply: This is an age-long problem in Nigeria that plagues every aspect of the country’s economy. So, it’s quite expectable that it will significantly affect cement production in the country, which requires heavy duty automated machinery that is powered electrically. Due to the epileptic power supply in Nigeria, cement manufacturers depend on expensive alternative sources of power, and this results in high overhead costs, and ultimately, increased product prices.

Unfriendly government policies: Over the years, the Nigerian government, through its policies, has been hostile to cement manufacturers in the country. While the ban on the importation of cement is commendable, there are other worrisome policies that make things difficult for manufacturers. These include multiple taxes and other ever-changing policies.

Other factors responsible for unstable cement prices in Nigeria include technological inadequacies on the part of the manufacturers as well as constraints in the buying power of consumers caused by the harsh state of the Nigerian economy.

Major players in the Nigerian cement industry

Dangote Cement Plc

Manufacturer of the popular Dangote cement and the present biggest player in the Nigerian cement market, Dangote Cement Plc is owned by the Dangote Group, which was founded by Alhaji Aliko Dangote. The company was founded as Obajana Cement Plc in 1992 but later had its name changed to Dangote Cement Plc in July 2010. The company, which is presently the largest listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange engages in the production and distribution of cement in Nigeria and other African countries including Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, South Africa, Cameroun, Ghana, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ethiopia.

The company’s manufacturing plant in Obajana, Kogi state is the largest in Africa, with a production capacity of 10.25mmtpa. The company also has plants in Obeshe, Ogun state (4mmtpa) and Gboko, Benue State (4mmtpa). Outside Nigeria, Dangote Cement also has cement manufacturing plants in a number of other African countries.

Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria

Another big player in the Nigerian cement market, Lafarge group facilitates the production of about 12mmtpa of cement in Nigeria, which is expected to hit 18mmtpa by 2020. The company has plants in Ogun state (3 WAPCO plants producing a total of 4.5mmtpa), Gombe state (Ashaka cement plant producing 1mmtpa), Cross River state (United Cement Company of Nigeria plant producing 2.5mmtpa), and Rivers State (Atlas cement company).

Aside cement, Lafarge also processes and distributes concrete and other construction aggregates. The company’s operation in Nigeria is under the control of the parent company LafargeHolcim, a French-Swiss company headquartered in Paris, France.

Other major cement manufacturers in Nigerian include BUA cement group and Ibeto cement.