Dangote gives out 150 trucks ‎to ease distribution, availability of cement nationwide

Dangote Cement plc has given out over 150 trucks to ease the distribution and availability of cement across the country, in a move to help distributors service their customers, get the products in a timely manner and also take their businesses to the next level.

Oare Ojeikere, group chief marketing officer, said “‎the trucks are going to come at no cost to distributors,” saying that all that was required was for the distributors to reach a certain volume in three years and get the trucks for keeps.

Ojeikere, during the redistribution ‎fleet empowerment programme of the Dangote Group in Lagos, Wednesday, said: “We will be giving away a 150 trucks in all, this is just a phase. Our biggest customers will get 10 tons trucks to ease their burden, while the next category of customers will get 15 and 20‎-ton trucks.

“This is really about helping distributors service their customers, to help them get the products in a timely manner. This scheme is about you and how to ensure we get your businesses to the next level. All we ask for is for the distributors to use them to service their retailers for three years to a certain volume and get the trucks for keeps.”

According to him, “‎This scheme is about empowering our partners‎ and ensuring they have what they require to get their products to their customers. In the current dispensation where exchange rate have more or less ballooned out of proportion, making it increasingly difficult for people to invest in new trucks, but our business is powered by the ability to get cement‎ to the retailers and the end-users.‎”

Also speaking at the event, Onne Van Der Weijde, group managing director, Dangote Cement, said ‎the scheme was aimed at making cement available to all end-users in the country.

‎”We want to make cement available to all customers. We want our products to be available in both large, medium and small quantities to all our customers. Customers that have done a lot with us will get these trucks for free while they use it for three years, and once they get to a certain quantity, the trucks will be theirs,” he said.

He stated that cement at the beginning of the year was around N2000, pointing out that the company had brought down the price to about N1400, representing more than 40 percent reduction.

‎A distributor from the South-West region, Isah Muhammed commended Dangote for the initiative, and said the scheme would help distributors get cement to every part o the country in the most profitable and cost effective manner.

‎”I cannot express my feelings enough. If you are a distributor with any product, I will advise you to join Dangote because you will achieve a lot. Among what we are benefiting being customers with Dangote, this is nothing. We are growing and we believe this scheme will only make us grow stronger and more profitable,” he said.

‎Another distributor from the South-East, Beatrice Okika said the trucks would help distributors sell more cement and on a long run, reduce cost for distributors in the country.

“We can now reach interior places to get these products to the end-users anywhere in the country.‎ These trucks can be used to bring cements to their sites ‎to be used immediately,” she said.

Jimi Azeez, also from South-West, lauded the scheme and said he had achieved a lot being a distributor with Dangote, saying ‎”I am very‎ happy with this scheme and I want to use this opportunity to thank Dangote because he has touched the lives of many Nigerians. Most of what I have today had been from being a distributor with Dangote.”