Nigeria’s leading cement manufacturing company, Dangote Cement Plc reported a 7% drop in sales volume in the first half (H1) of 2022 to 14.2 million tonnes.
Sales volume from Nigeria declined by 5.3% to 9.3 million tonnes. This the company attributed to global supply chain disruption that impacted operations where imports are required during the period.
The company’s revenue grew by 17% to N808 billion while the group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) rose by 6.3% to N373.2 billion. Nigeria’s EBITDA expanded by 12.3% to N349.4 billion.
Profit after tax dipped to N172.1 billion, representing a decline of 10.2%, largely due to unrealised foreign exchange losses.
Net debt stood at N423 billion in the period under review.
Speaking on the company’s performance Michel Puchercos, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Despite the elevated inflation due to a very volatile global environment, the first half of 2022 has been positive.
“We recorded increases in revenue and EBITDA that drove strong cash generation across the Group. We recorded revenue of ₦808.0B, up 17.0% compared to last year and Group EBITDA of ₦373.2B, up 6.3% with an EBITDA margin of 46.2%.
“Although significant increase in energy and AGO costs are impacting production, we are strengthening our efforts to ramp up the usage of alternative fuels. Our Alternative Fuel Project aims to leverage waste management solutions, reduce CO2 emissions, and source material locally. So far this year, we co-processed 67,230 tonnes of waste representing a 25% increase over H1 2021.
“To drive consumer engagement and support demand ahead of the rainy season; we have commenced the 3rd season of our National Consumer Promotion – “Bag of Goodies 3”. On the operational side, we are ramping up production at our Okpella plant and are progressing well to deploy grinding plants in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
“Our business model remains robust, thanks to the prudent and flexible approach we have taken across our operations. Our continuous focus on efficiency, meeting market demand and maintaining our costs leadership drives our ability to consistently deliver superior profitability and value to all shareholders.”