Calabar — The United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) based in Calabar has launched a new product called 'UNICEM 42.5" produced basically for heavy construction works.

Managing Director of the company Mr. Olivier Lenoir said the new product is produced for specialized construction works like high-rise buildings, long-span bridges, dams, flyover and silos.

Lenoir said the new product is already recording high demand owing to series of development projects going on in the country, adding that the product was introduced to serve this need in line with requirement for high strength performance cement.

He said; "This product should address strategic requirement of our customers for infrastructure for this market and as you know in Nigeria infrastructures are really needed, and we are confident that this product will make 10-50 percent of the total cement consumption."

He said plans were on to increase its production capacity from 2.5 metric tons to 2.30 metric tons this year. "This is necessary owing to the supply gap in the market," he said.

On whether his company intends to sell cement outside Nigeria, he said it is presently focusing on the existing gap in its core market which is the South-south and South-east regions of Nigeria.