GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has urged HBM Nigeria PLC, the new owners of Ashaka Cement Company, to ensure that its planned expansion in production capacity is matched by a renewed commitment to the welfare of host communities and the protection of the environment.
News Point Nigeria reports that the governor made the call when he received the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HBM Nigeria PLC, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, who led the company’s Executive Management team, including the Managing Director of Ashaka Cement Limited, Ibrahim Aminu, on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Gombe.
The Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe, Ismaila Uba Misilli, disclosed this in a statement, noting that Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the planned expansion of Ashaka Cement’s production capacity presents an opportunity for the company to deepen its contribution to the economic development of Gombe State.
The governor said the company could achieve this through increased employment generation, local content development, community development and enhanced corporate social responsibility programmes, while assuring the management of the state government’s readiness to continue working in synergy with HBM Nigeria PLC to create an enabling environment for sustainable industrial growth.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya noted that Ashaka Cement enjoys significant goodwill across Northern Nigeria and urged the company to leverage its strategic position to remain one of the country’s leading producers of cement and other building materials.
He stressed that while profit maximisation remains a legitimate objective for businesses operating in a liberal economy, companies must equally recognise and fulfil their responsibilities to the communities and environment in which they operate.
The governor specifically urged HBM Nigeria PLC to explore ways of improving road infrastructure leading to Ashaka Cement, noting that some adjoining roads constructed by the state government had suffered damage due to the heavy trucks and haulage activities associated with the company.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for awarding the contract for the construction of the Gombe-Biu Super Highway, describing the project as a major intervention that would benefit not only the people of Gombe State but businesses and industries across the region.
He challenged Ashaka Cement to position itself to supply the cement required for the construction of the super highway, particularly as the project is expected to utilise concrete pavement.
Earlier, the GMD/CEO of HBM Nigeria PLC, Alade-Akinyemi, explained that the transition from Lafarge Africa PLC to HBM Nigeria PLC followed the integration of Lafarge into the Huaxin Building Materials Group, a globally recognised manufacturer of cement and building materials.
He assured Governor Inuwa Yahaya that despite the change in ownership, the company’s commitment to the government and people of Gombe State remained steadfast and “ironclad.”
According to him, the new management would prioritise local content, strategic partnerships, community development and corporate social responsibility while working to strengthen the company’s contribution to the economy of Gombe State.
Alade-Akinyemi disclosed that plans were underway to expand Ashaka Cement’s production capacity to two million metric tonnes per annum, a development expected to create additional employment opportunities and stimulate economic activities for transporters, suppliers and other businesses operating within the company’s value chain.
The HBM Nigeria PLC GMD/CEO also paid tribute to Governor Inuwa Yahaya for what he described as his purposeful leadership and efforts at creating an enabling environment for infrastructural, economic and industrial development in Gombe State.
He expressed the company’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with the state government and contribute even more significantly to the development of Gombe State and the wellbeing of its people.