Nwifuru, Chinese investors scout Nkalagu for ₦150b cement factory

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State on Monday led Chinese contractors and investors on a tour of the moribund Nigeria Cement Factory (NIGERCEM), Nkalagu to assess the site for a new ₦150 billion state-owned cement plant.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Monday Uzor, made available to newsmen.

The 2026 Budget already earmarked ₦150 billion for the project. 

Conducting the expatriates round the site, Governor Nwifuru said legal and technical bottlenecks around reviving the old NIGERCEM forced the state to opt for a brand new factory. 

Preliminary surveys, he noted, show massive limestone deposits that can sustain production for over 30 years.

He said: “We have 50 million tons of limestone in Nkalagu and 23 million tons at Effium. 

“Put together, they will sustain the factory for a minimum of 30 years.”

Nwifuru stressed that the project is not political, but part of his administration’s “social contract” with citizens and the industrialisation drive of the People’s Charter of Needs Agenda.

To block private and political control, he made a bold pledge: “Upon completion of the project, no one will buy shares here, including my humble self.

“We came with manufacturers, designers, builders and contractors. 

“They will see the limestones.”

The governor assured that once operational, the plant will create jobs and crash the cost of building materials across Ebonyi State, South East, and Nigeria at large. 

The Chinese team, he said, has promised timely delivery to match his industrialisation vision.

While appreciating leaders who have backed the project, Nwifuru commended the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for his sustained interest in reviving the old NIGERCEM.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖