President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said the  group employs over 500,000 direct and 200,000 indirect employees, pledging to put Nigeria in the spotlight in the comity of nations. Dangote, whose cement business spans West, Central and Eastern Africa, said his company controls over 65 per cent of the cement industry in Nigeria.

Speaking through his Sales Manager, Mr. Josiah Nweke, at the ongoing International Trade fair in Lagos, he said the group has recently introduced the block master cement that is best for block moulding and construction, beating competitors to it.

About 20 new products of the group, including stew mix, curry and thyme were unveiled at the fair. He invited people to take up distributorship of the group’s products and grow their personal income and the economy.

President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Babatunde Paul Ruwase, while commending the efforts of the group, said the group’s investments cut across all sectors, noting that hardly will one find a house without any of their product. He added that the group has topped it with a world class oil refinery outfit.

The LCCI, he said, is setting a platform for cross pollination of ideas among the private sector, the government and the public. He said: “Our aim is to encourage bilateral trade relations while creating value for exhibitors. This is a wake-up call for the government not to allow the gains of the International Trade Fair to be missed.” He urged the government to improve access to finance, build infrastructure and improve manufacturing activities.