Dangote Aliko.webp
The Digest:

In a system where building a nation often feels like bearing its hidden costs, one industrialist points to the structural weight citizens carry. Aliko Dangote has explained that Nigerians pay more for locally produced cement than foreign buyers due to a heavy domestic tax burden.

Key Points:
  • Dangote stated that high taxes and regulatory costs inflate domestic cement prices.
  • He revealed that exported cement is cheaper due to exemptions from multiple levies.
  • Exports do not incur the 30% income tax, VAT, or education and health levies.
  • These savings allow Nigerian cement to compete internationally with producers from Turkey and China.
  • The price gap means domestic consumers subsidize the competitiveness of exports.
  • Dangote emphasized that local manufacturing alone cannot resolve the high pricing issue.
  • Cement currently sells for between ₦10,200 and ₦10,500 within Nigeria.
The revelation exposes a painful irony: the very policies designed for revenue may be deepening the cost of growth at home, placing the foundation of development on the shoulders of the local consumer.

Sources: Business Insider Africa, Tribune Online