Vietnam: Vicem But Son Cement has reported that it sold more than 3.8Mt of cement and clinker in 2021, fulfilling 94.1% of its whole year’s target, according to local media. During the year, the firm produced more than 2.8Mt of clinker, fulfilling 96.6% of its plan and over 3.2Mt of cement, fulfilling 91.1% of its target. In financial terms, the company contributed US$6.64m to the state budget last year, surpassing the whole year’s target by 6.7%.

In 2022 Vicem But Son Cement aims to sell 4.0Mt of products, comprising 3.4Mt of cement and 0.6Mt of clinker, as part of its mission to become ‘a leading’ cement producer in Vietnam and in the Southeast Asian region.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement announced on 26 January 2022 that it bought 126.75 million of its own shares in the week to 21 January 2022, the second tranche of a buyback programme set to return cash to shareholders. The producer, majority-owned by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote, aims to buy back up to 10% of its US$41m share capital in tranches. The company now has 16.87 billion shares outstanding.

Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated BUA Group’s new 3.0Mt/yr Line 4 at its Sokoto plant in northern Nigeria on 27 January 2022. The plant is the largest private sector employer of labour in the north-western part of Nigeria.

At the inauguration, the President expressed delight that the Federal Government policies on economic diversification, job creation and creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive were working. He pledged to continue his administration’s support for ‘serious investors’ to set up businesses that will take advantage of huge reserves of resources in different parts of the country.

The President thanked the Founder of BUA Cement, Abdul Samad Rabiu and the BUA team for the ‘great work they are doing’ in supporting the government's economic diversification and job creation agenda.

Speaking personally, President Buhari added that, as the head of Sokoto State in 1985, he had also inaugurated Line 2 at the same plant, saying, "Today, almost 37 years later, to commission the fourth line is a very special day for me personally. As you all know, one of the key economic pillars of our administration has been to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. This is necessary for job creation and indeed, for our economy and national security.”

Tunisia: The overall turnover of Les Ciments de Bizerte rose by 17.8% year-on-year in 2021, to US$45.1m in 2021, from US$38.2m in 2020. Its local turnover rose by 5% to US$38.1m from US$36.3m. The company’s export turnover soared by 256% from US$1.96m to US$6.96m. The volume of cement it produced in 2021 was 673,079t, up by 17,829t (2.7%) compared to 2020.