How to Start Cement Block Industry in Nigeria

How to Start Cement Block Industry in Nigeria

We all know what cement block is used for, but few of us know the money making potential that exist in the business of block making. There is this woman, a neighbor who lives just a stone throw from where I previously lived in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. We call her Iya Ibeji; she used to live from hand to mouth like every other women in that area until about two and half years ago (as at march 2012) when she started a Bock Industry in a piece of property (land) she rented nears her house.

At first no one take her seriously, people where wondering how could a woman with children run a Block Industry successfully, that is if there is even a gain at all in it. People thought she would just fold up after some months, but that did not deter her from carrying on with her planned project

As at the last time I checked, she had fully acquired the previously rented land from the owner, built three flats of two bedrooms each for rent, renovated their previously dilapidated house, and bought a supply truck! All within two and half years of running the Block Industry.

The most interesting part of it all is that, she barely lift a finger. She is not the one mixing the cements, she is also not the one molding the blocks, neither is she the one loading or offloading the blocks. All she does is supervise, while her money work for her. At the end of every working day, she will smile to the bank with thousands of Naira made from the business.

There are people living in that area who had more money that she does at that point in time when she started the business but none of them was thinking in that direction until she got it going. Today, she is the envy of everyone in that area including those who previously thought she was wasting her time.

You in your own part, it doesn't matter how much you have now, what really matters is the idea you have because without useful idea, the money you have now may just go before you realize it, "money come and go on daily basis". But if your idea is solid, the tiniest money in your hands can be turned into mega millions within a short time. And one of the business idea that can do that for you right now is the idea of starting your own Block Industry in your area straight away! If you're ready to give it a try, here are the step by step how to go about it:

1. Acquire a Land - A 60 x 120 plot of land preferably in a new and developing site is very good, that will be able to accommodate your blocks and other materials. If you can get something bigger, that will be better but a plot is just very OK. You can either buy or rent one, but buying is better!

Make sure the land is not a swampy area because, that will be affecting your block's dryness as the humidity wouldn't allow the block dry properly. Besides, vehicle may be sinking in a swampy land thereby making your work more difficult. A dry land is my type of recommended property for setting up a Block Industry.

2. Buy Diesel Lister - That will be used to power your block molding machine. There are single and double cylinders, go for the single cylinder because the single one consume laser diesel and can power all your equipment effectively. You can use it to power your molding machine, your pumping machine and your generating set.

 Make sure you get the original, if you don't know how to identify the original, take someone that knows the original along with you while going. Original ones work better, consume less diesel, make lesser noise, and last longer.

3. Sink a Well or Borehole - You need plenty of water in a Block Industry; apart from the water for mixing the sand and cements, you will need water to water the molded block too. Blocks need to be watered a day after it were been molded to increase it's hardness.

Buying water will not be cost effective in doing all these, so the best choice that I recommend is to dig your own well or borehole. But if you can't, then make do with buying water for the main-time.

4. Get a Block Molder - The molder is different from the Diesel Lister, the molder is the actual machine where the block is molded from; they call it Vibrating Machine, that is the machine that make those noises you hear from block industry.

It is constructed locally by local welders who specialized in doing that. I've once accompanied my boss to buy it in Ibadan during those days when I used to work in Block Industry. Lol! I'm not sure of what the price is now but I think together with the Lister wouldn't cost more that N250,000. Please ask the price from other Block Industry owners to avoid being short changed.

5. Construct the Wooden Block Carrier - That's the name I gave it, the wooden flat object used to carry the block from the molder to the drying point. It is constructed by The Carpenters, usually one thousand or more in number.

Without it, nothing can be done, you need a very durable wood for it . They are very important, you can't mold the block on ordinary ground, it need to be seated on something and that is where the wooden block carrier comes in handy.

6. Employ Workers - Five workers are needed for one machine, One operator (the person who will be handling the machine). Two mixers, the mixer would be responsible to mix all the cements and sands that goes into the molders. Two carriers, the boys who would be carrying the block as it is molded, from the molder to the drying point.

Then, a Driver and two Loaders, that will depend on whether you own your loading truck or it is rented. If you own your truck, then the driver and the two loaders will be your direct employee. But if you rent truck for your supply, in that case, you don't have control over the driver and the loaders.

7. Set Up a Small Shed - A roofed shed where you will have the Lister and Molding machine set up and operated from. To avoid the machine being beaten by rain, you'll need a roof over it. There will be no wall, just four strong beam and roof, that's all.

8. Get a Good Supply of Cement - Cement is your number one raw material, you will need it in good quantity as it is not advisable to buy everyday. Your supply should be able to last for a week before going for another one. And not all types of cement are good for commercial block production, you need the type that drys quickly such as Elephant Cements.

Build a shop that you will use as store house and possibly sell to others too. Most of the Block Industry owners do sell cements, if you can afford enough supply you can sell too. Most times, you may get the cement suppliers who will supply you cement for credit and collect the money later if you're reliable.

9. Sand Supply - You need that too on a stand by! Three types of sand are needed: The sharp sand, the stone dust which is residue from granite, and ordinary mud sand. Three of them are mixed together with cement to come up with the commercial Block that is sold.

10. Diesel Supply - You will need about 25 to 30 liters of diesel to fire  up your Lister machine almost everyday depending on how long your machine work, and what and what it is used to power. In which ever case, you'd need a good and stand by supply of diesel as part of your raw material.

With all these in place, you are as good as a Block Industry owner, ready to start raking in millions. But, don't forget you'll need to do some form of marketing. However, in block business your number one marketing tools is quality; make sure you don't trade good quality for gain. Live is involved too because, if your block aren't strong, the resultant house constructed with it wouldn't be strong as well, and you know what that means... Don't over mix the cement with sand!

12 to 13 bags of cement is used everyday to produce 500 of 9inches blocks. If each of the blocks are sold for N140 as it is. 500 blocks will sell for N70,000 and the total expenses that will produce that number including the laborer's work is between N45,00 to N50,000. When you subtract that from N70,000 your profit will be N20,000 to N25,000 daily. Multiply that by 30days, you will have N600,000 to N750,000 MONTHLY! There is even more profit with 6inches blocks!!

Is that a business worth investing in or not? Remember, you didn't pay me anything to share this information with you, all I asked from you is to make good use of it and tell others about this website. Do you have any question or comment? Post them in the comment box below.