Exclusive interview with Makoji Aduku, CEO of Premium Marble and Granite. PMG is a bronze sponsor of the upcoming Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja from 1–3 November 2022.
Let’s start with some background on your company, what your services entail and where in the world you are active. PMG, Premium Marble & Granite, is an indigenous manufacturer of premium natural stone (marble and granite slabs and tiles) made in Nigeria for the real estate and building sector. We aim to harness the beautiful and vast natural stone resources Nigeria has been endowed with and provide the much-needed substitution for dimension stone imports into the Nigerian market whilst constantly growing exports. We are currently among the top largest producers of dimension stone in West Africa.
Any specific projects or success stories that you are particularly proud of and want to share? We have been instrumental in the rapid development of the dimension stone industry in Nigeria with a quality spectrum of colours to choose from with high daily production to meet local demand, which translates to reduced dependency on imported natural stones. Some landmark projects are the new International Airport Abuja and Lagos departure and arrival hall floors, Abuja and Lagos Railway terminal floors.
Where in Africa are you focusing on future growth? After Nigeria, the West African market seems to be the second phase of our growth plan as well as the international real estate community.
How important is Nigeria for your company? And the mining industry in particular? Nigeria has one of the largest deposits of natural stone in the world. It is only logical to position our long-term plan in the mining industry in Nigeria. However, we will also not shy away from its challenges.
How did Covid impact your operations? What did you learn from the pandemic? The impact of Covid globally cannot be overemphasised; we are happy that we are all recovering from the impact on global commerce. However, the lockdown also came with its benefits – within the COVID-19 lockdown, we completed the installation of four modern dimension cutters, and one 24-head multi-head polisher among several other equipment in record time. It also opened us to remote EPC collaborations, which were cost savings.
What is your vision for your operations in Nigeria and the region? Are there particular challenges? As earlier stated, PMG’s vision is to be the lead stockist of dimension stone in West Africa. One of the major challenges for us is access to a stable and cheap power supply and a conducive environment.
What surprises you about the mining industry? No surprises! We are always prepared to deal with the challenges and improve the advantages provided in the Nigerian mining space.
What will be your message at the upcoming Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja? We are proud to be part of Nigeria Mining Week 2022 as a sponsor with the ability to engage with associates, vendors, and industry experts one-on-one. We look forward to a successful outing and top-quality content by the VUKA Group.
How excited are you about being part of the first live Nigeria Mining Week since the pandemic? We hope the event will encourage more investors to participate in the Nigerian mining space and improve the importance of real-life meetings with local and international miners.
Anything you would like to add? Hopefully, the event will have a global appeal to promote Nigerian mining businesses and brands worldwide. It should also promote the hard-working local investors and miners, the biggest drivers of the Nigerian mining industry.
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