Worried by its recent production capacity of 1.5m tons production and the attendant cost implications in a capacity plant of 2.5m tons, the Director General, Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON),Joseph Ikemfuna Odumodu has urged the management of United Cement company Nigerian Limited to step- up its production capacity to 2.5m metric tons.
Odumodu who was a working visit to Cross River State visited the United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited, 2.5m metric tons Greenfield Cement Plant, Mfamosing, Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State.
The DG said “I recall asking you on how and why you are operating on 1.5m metric tons on a capacity of 2.5m metric tons because that has cost implications, you have capacity for so much but you are doing so little SON is concern about that.”
He said his agency is worried about the output and urged the management to improve on that and also go beyond selling the product, but should also monitor them as he put it, “SON is in the process of testing a more robust capacity in all Geo-political Zone of the country.”
His routine visit to manufacturers in the state capital was to ascertain their conformity with the Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS).
UniCem cement products (UniCem 42, 5 and 32, 5) conform to the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS: 444-1:2003) and have been certified by the SON as cement of high quality with the awards of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificates.
According to the Operations Director (OD) Henri Nicot who represented the Managing Director, Olivier Lenoir “UniCem and SON have been collaborating in the area monitoring of the production process to ensure product quality, manpower development for its staff, training and certification of block makers. The OD informed the DG of SON that as part of its commitment to customer satisfaction,UniCem will train and certify 5000 block makers and other end users this year and requested the continued support of SON.”
The Director General was accompanied in the visit by the Head Standards Organization of Nigeria, Cross River – EngineerSunday Yashim and other top officers of the SON from Abuja.
The SON commended UniCem for its conformity with the standards and quality of its products which the DG said led to the Award of the MANCAP certificates.
By: MIKE ABANG
