Dangote Cement Appoints Michel Puchercos as Group CEO; Joseph Makoju Retires

Michel Puchercos

The Group Managing Director/CEO of Dangote Cement Plc, Joseph Makoju will bow out on January 31, 2020. He will be replaced by Mr. Michel Puchercos from Lafarge Africa, the company told the Nigerian Stock Exchange in a filing.

Makoju became the CEO of Nigeria’s dominant cement manufacturer in 2018, after first serving as Honorary Adviser to the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, from 2009 to 2018. He was also Chief Operating Officer oF Dangote Cement.

Makoju, popularly called Mr. Cement, is bowing out after 45 years in the cement industry.

He had worked in several world-class organisations including Shell-BP; Blue Circle (UK), and WAPCO which he headed as Managing Director/CE for about a decade before taking up an appointment as Managing Director/CE of the National Electric Power Authority (now Power Holding Company of Nigeria).

He served as Special Adviser (Electric Power) to the President under two separate Administrations. He was pioneer Chairman of the Board of the West African Power Pool for eight years and remains today an Honorary Member of the board. He is also Chairman of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN).

December 25, 2019