Lagos — A Chinese firm has signed a deal worth 1.487 billion U.S. dollars with Nigeria-based cement giant Dangote Group to build cement plants in several African countries.

The plants will be built by China’s Sinoma International Engineering Co., Ltd in countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, Niger, Mali, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivore Ghana and Nepal.

“We have been partnering with Sinoma for a very long time and I can tell you that they are very reliable to handle this projects,” he said, noting that the Chinese firm had built several plants in Nigeria and other countries for his company.

Dangote said the new plants would promote the growth of the host nations’ economy through job creation, adding he was “committed to improving Africa’s economy in a responsible and sustainable way.”

“This plant would revolutionize the cement industry in each country, because a country like Niger depends solely on importation and they have all the needed materials to produced cement,” he said.