(Business in Cameroon) – Nigeria-based Dangote Cement reported a notable drop in sales volume from its Cameroon operations in the first nine months of 2025, primarily attributing the decline to uncertainties linked to the country’s electoral context.
The company’s cement volumes from its 1.5-million-ton-per-annum clinker grinding unit in Douala fell 9.3% to 927,300 tons, down from just over 1 million tons in the same period of 2024.
The slump occurred despite a favorable macroeconomic environment, with Cameroon’s GDP growth expected at 3.8% and inflation brought down to 3.4% as of May 2025.
Dangote Cement remains optimistic for the year-end, banking on a progressive resumption of government-led public infrastructure projects, including the Douala-Yaoundé highway, several road and bridge construction schemes, and urban development programs across the country.
Regionally, Dangote Cement’s clinker exports grew by 23%, with 27 shipments totaling 1.1 million tons sent to Ghana and Cameroon. However, overall sales volume from its non-Nigerian operations fell 5% to 7.9 million tons, citing political uncertainties in Senegal and South Africa, as well as liquidity strains in Ethiopia.
The Republic of Congo was an exception, registering a 2.8% rise in sales to 706,200 tons, boosted by public works and the construction of a new refinery.
Overall, the Dangote Group reported a record net profit after tax of 734.3 billion naira (approximately 288 billion CFA francs), marking a 166.7% increase year-on-year.
Cameroon’s cement market, with an estimated annual demand of 8 million tons, is dominated by Cimencam and Dangote Cement, followed by Cimaf and Mira. The recent entry of three new Chinese-owned units and the commissioning of several local factories are expected to raise national installed capacity to 12.8 million tons. This surge in production capacity now easily covers domestic demand, intensifying competition in the evolving market.
Amina Malloum
