New national standard approved in Nigeria

Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has given final approval for a new national cement standard, which will be mandatory for both domestically produced cement and imports.

The new standard will be strictly enforced throughout the country following a short grace period. All cement produced domestically or imported into the country that meets the new standard will be labelled under the label ‘NIS 444-1.’

The ministry asserted that the new guidelines would enable end-users to make the right choice in terms of selecting an appropriate cement type, help to avoid unethical application of the different types of cement, enhance proper identification of the different cement classes and improve traceability, as well as guide users.

Cement grades and applications:
• CEM I 52.5R, 52.5N or 52.5, will now be used for the construction of bridges.
• CEM II 42.5R, 42.5N or 42.5 grade, will be used for the casting of columns, beams, slabs and for block moulding.
•  CEM I & II 32.5R, 32.5N or 32.5 grade, will only be used for the plastering of buildings.