CONSTRUCTION Dangote Cement’s operations in Congo are a vital economic and social contributor, the firm’s plant near Mfila being the largest ever opened in the country
Bringing the Dangote Way to Congo D
Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann espite facing political and economic instability in recent years, the Republic of Congo’s economy appears to be heading in the right direction. According to the World Bank, GDP growth for 2019 is expected to be recorded at 5.4 percent, an upward curve predicted to continue into 2020 and 2021, gaining an average of 1.8 percent per year for the next two-year period. This outlook is based on a strong oil and resource sector and a growth in investments – in 2018, around 17 percent of GDP derived from investment, a figure which is forecast to rise to 22.7 percent during 2019 to 21, assuming favourable oil prices and budget surpluses. It also requires a stable political picture. November 2017 proved to be a significant turning point, after a ceasefire agreement was signed between the Congolese Government and representatives of the former rebel leader Frédéric Bintsamou. Since then the country has benefitted from a period of peace and security, a status quo which is gradually seeing investors return to the country. Indeed, the non-oil sector also has its role to play, and 2017 also marked the entry of Dangote Cement, West Africa’s leading cement producer, into the Congolese market. “Operating as a business unit of Dangote Group in Congo, the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest in the African continent, it is important for us to play our part in the ongoing development of the country,” comments Afroz Ansari, the company’s Country and Plant Director. Africa Outlook issue 83 | 37
