The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered potential market manipulation within Nigeria’s cement industry following an extensive three-month investigation.

?The findings, detailed in a 40-page field report by the Commission’s Anticompetitive Practices Department (ACP), follow consumer complaints regarding the persistent high cost of cement despite Nigeria’s vast natural limestone reserves, extensive domestic production infrastructure, and reported capacity surplus.

?According to the Commission, three major manufacturers control over 90 percent of the nation's installed production capacity. While most major producers cooperated by providing internal records, one major entity failed to make its files available to investigators.

?To establish benchmark pricing, the FCCPC conducted a cross-border comparative analysis across key African markets, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria.

?The study highlighted significant regional price disparities. For instance, a 50-kilogram bag of cement sells for the equivalent of $5.40 (7,344 Naira) in Kenya and $4.80 (6,528 Naira) in Tanzania.

Notably, in Togo—a nation with no natural limestone deposits—the same bag sells for $6.75 (9,180 Naira), underscoring concerns over the domestic pricing structure in Nigeria.