Ibrahim Mahama urges stronger support for Ghanaian entrepreneurs as Dzata Cement marks 5 years
Businessman Ibrahim Mahama has called for greater confidence in Ghanaian entrepreneurs, urging the state to deliberately create opportunities and support systems that will enable more local businesses to grow into major industrial enterprises.
The Founder, Sole Shareholder and Group Chief Executive Officer of DZATA Holdings said entrepreneurship should go beyond establishing successful companies to building institutions capable of surviving their founders.
Mr Mahama was speaking last Tuesday during the fifth anniversary celebration of Dzata Cement, the Portland cement manufacturing company in Tema.
He said one of the motivations behind the establishment of Dzata Cement was to demonstrate that Ghanaians could establish and operate large-scale businesses instead of depending largely on foreign-owned companies.
“There are other ventures in which I want to prove to Ghanaians that we can't always be beggars and only be employees of foreign companies.
We can build it ourselves,” he said.
According to Mr Mahama, his experience in establishing Dzata Cement had reinforced his belief that Ghanaian entrepreneurs had the capacity to conceive, finance, construct and manage large-scale industrial ventures capable of competing in sectors critical to the country's development.
Five years of resilience
Dzata Cement, described as Ghana's only wholly Ghanaian-owned cement manufacturing company, has completed five years of operations after navigating financial, operational and market challenges.
The company's establishment was driven by Mr Mahama's ambition to challenge the perception that major industrial ventures, particularly in the cement industry, had to be owned and operated by foreign companies.
Located on a 10-acre site near the Tema Port, the plant represents an investment of more than $100 million.
The facility uses technology supplied by German equipment manufacturer Haver & Boecker to produce Portland Cement, with bagging lines capable of averaging 120 bags per minute.
The company currently has a production capacity of about 80,000 bags a day, equivalent to approximately two million tonnes annually.
Dzata Cement is also expected to produce its 30 millionth bag of cement within days, marking a major production milestone in its five-year journey.
Give the younger generation a chance
Mr Mahama also urged leaders and business owners to deliberately entrust younger people with responsibilities to develop a new generation of capable managers and entrepreneurs.
He said he had intentionally withdrawn from the day-to-day management of Dzata Cement to give younger leaders the opportunity to take risks, gain experience and strengthen their managerial abilities.
“In life, some of us should learn these lessons.
We won't live forever.
So sometimes we should give the children the opportunity to be able to take that risk of managing,” he said.
He said his approach to succession involved working alongside the younger generation before gradually handing over responsibilities as they gained experience.
“What we do is that we start running together and then as our children grow, we employ them into the business, we teach them, and then we go into retirement.”
That approach is already reflected in the management of Dzata Cement, where his daughter, Nafisa Mahama, serves as Managing Director.
From transporter to manufacturer
Mr Mahama said his decision to establish a cement manufacturing plant was influenced by his earlier experience as a cement transporter and mining contractor.
His work transporting cement allowed him to observe the industry closely, including its manufacturing and distribution processes.
He recalled following his trucks to the Ghacem facility in Takoradi, where he took a closer look at the plant and studied how cement was manufactured.
Rather than viewing the operation as beyond the reach of a Ghanaian entrepreneur, the experience convinced him that he could establish a similar facility.
“I looked at the structure and said, look, I could build one,” he recalled.
That conviction eventually translated into an investment project. Mr Mahama travelled to Germany, engaged equipment manufacturers and began assembling the financing required to build the plant.
The project encountered major financial and operational difficulties during construction and equipment installation. He said support from his younger brother and other individuals eventually helped the company complete the installation.
Mr Mahama said the challenges did not weaken his resolve but became part of the journey towards establishing a Ghanaian-owned industrial operation in a highly competitive sector.
Distributors stood by company
Mr Mahama also praised the distributors who supported Dzata Cement during its difficult early years.
Among the company's challenges was raising funds to clear imported clinker, creating additional pressure at a time when the business was still establishing its presence in the market.
He said the distributors responded by supporting the company and helping it overcome the difficulty.
“They all joined hands together, the cement came, we allocated it to them, and then Dzata Cement started,” Mr Mahama said.
He also acknowledged the support of former Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen during the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“Alan, wherever you are, I'm giving you a thumbs up. Thank you very much for standing behind us,” Mr Mahama said.
He further recalled facing scepticism from some industry players, including an expatriate executive who doubted that a Ghanaian could successfully establish a cement plant.
Mr Mahama said the scepticism strengthened his determination to prove that a Ghanaian entrepreneur could succeed in the sector.
Customers remain central
The Managing Director of Dzata Cement, Nafisa Mahama, used the anniversary to acknowledge customers whose confidence in the brand had contributed to the company's progress.
She said the milestone was being marked with appreciation for customers who had trusted Dzata Cement and used its products for their construction projects.
Ms Mahama also recognised the contribution of distributors, particularly those who continued to work with the company during periods of difficulty.
She described employees as the heart of the business and commended them for their dedication, sacrifices and commitment.
She pledged that employee welfare would remain a priority as the company entered its next phase of growth.
Ms Mahama also expressed appreciation to local and international suppliers, GCB Bank, the government, state institutions and the Chamber of Cement Producers for their support.
She said management remained committed to improving operations, maintaining product quality and strengthening services to customers and distributors.
The Managing Director added that the company would increase investment in its workforce to build the human capacity needed to sustain Dzata Cement for generations.
Dzata outlines expansion plans
Dzata Cement has also outlined a series of initiatives aimed at expanding its manufacturing capacity and strengthening its position in the market.
Plant Director Abderrahim Ouahab said the company's immediate priorities included expanding its cement portfolio, introducing additional grades and exploring the introduction of a 25kg bag alongside its existing 50kg packaging.
He said the company also planned to strengthen its laboratory, increase Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) training, pursue ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards, improve spare-parts and inventory management, and introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools in selected operations.
One of the major capital projects is the installation of a 300-tonne-per-hour Multi Big Bag Receiver to improve jumbo-bag handling, cement transfer, screening, dust collection and recycling.
The company also plans to expand storage capacity to 40,000 tonnes and establish an automated packing facility capable of handling about 6,000 tonnes of cement daily.
Management said its long-term target was to produce at least three million tonnes of cement annually.
Finance Director Godfred Barnes said the company's progress had been driven by hard work, sacrifice and resilience despite supply-chain disruptions, freight costs, inflation, exchange-rate volatility and operational pressures.
He said the finance function was not simply about counting money but about protecting the company's vision, adding that every department had a responsibility to promote efficiency and financial sustainability.
Mr Barnes reaffirmed Dzata Cement's ambition to become Ghana's number-one cement manufacturing company by 2030.
He said the first five years had established the foundation, while the next five years would focus on building the company's legacy through disciplined investment, stronger distribution, reliable production, customer service and tighter cost management.
The company also plans to eventually expand into ready-mixed concrete and other cement-related products and services.