Nigeria is set to become one of the six countries to have international cement research centres from
The country is said to be on the verge of joining France, China, Brazil, India and Algeria as host to Lafarge’s development laboratory, which is targeted at developing new solutions and business opportunities to consumers through guaranteeing strong orientation towards products applications and construction systems, while deepening understanding of local constructive modes specificities.
Gilles Rochard, prospective research and development director, Lafarge, is reported as saying in Lyon, during a media tour of the company's site in France: “There will be one in Nigeria,” while explaining the group’s plan to launch the state-of-the-art research facility in Africa’s largest economy.
“I know Bruno Lafont (Lafarge’s chief executive) is pushing for that. In our business, we try to be active in innovations. We don’t research for the sake of it; we research to create products that will add value for our customers.”
In Nigeria, Lafarge Africa is the second largest cement maker.
One solution of Lafarge for Nigeria is to reduce the quantity of clinker in each tonne of cement, with a view to making more clinker available for the future and reducing the level of carbon emission, Rochard is reported as saying.
Similarly, the cement maker has unveiled OneCem low-density cement product for the oil and gas sector, which naturally needs more complex solutions. The product, which is also expected to hit the Nigerian market within the shortest possible time, replaces off-site blending with an industrially controlled solution.
