The absurd notion of the takeover of the Nzila cement plant

By Karine ALLOUCHE | LAMINE MEDIA Secretary of LNC

(Bangui, 22 April 2026 | LAMINE MEDIA) When we want a bit of a laugh in the newsroom, we talk about the reopening of the Nzila cement works, located south of Bangui, just as the government, through the Minister for Trade and Industry, Thierry Akoloza, did during an interview with Radio Ndéké Luka, when he spoke for the umpteenth time about the imminent resumption of operations at this cement works. What is certain is that, for the moment, the site is overgrown with tall grass and littered with stray dogs’ droppings. Admittedly, the plant was vandalised during the political and military crises of 2013, but there is a gap between that and resuming production as before – a gap that the Minister for Trade and Industry, Thierry Patrick Akoloza, has blithely leapt over. And he fed us a load of rubbish, saying that the government was actively working to rebuild the infrastructure and attract investment to modernise the factory. To put it plainly, they’re looking for money. In grandiloquent fashion, Akoloza rambled on, adding that the resumption of the factory’s operations was merely a first step towards reviving the entire industrial sector of the Central African Republic. The government intended to continue its efforts on other projects that would help revive the economy and improve citizens’ living conditions. Pure demagoguery!

For: LAMINE MEDIA

(in French and English)

Date: 22 April 2026

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