Muazzam Mairawani and the Cement Gamble in Kebbi

The sky in Nigeria’s business industry is currently heavy with ambition, especially in Kano, where Muazzam Mairawani first learned the rhythm of commerce. Now, the billionaire chair of MSM Group is particularly spellbound with the desire to stir up Nigeria’s cement industry with a $600 million plant in Kebbi State.

It is a daring plunge into waters already ruled by two leviathans, Dangote and BUA. Their combined production towers over the market, yet Mairawani insists there is room for another titan. His factory, expected to churn out 12 million tons a year, signals more than rivalry. It signals intent.

MSM Group was not always this bold. It began modestly in fertiliser before fanning out into logistics, shipping, agriculture, fintech, and oil. Oil discoveries worth $15 billion have recently fattened its reserves, giving Mairawani the kind of capital heft that makes a cement adventure seem almost logical. Almost.

Barely a week before unveiling his Kebbi project, he announced plans for a $225 million Nasdaq IPO through MSM Frontier Capital. If successful, it could draw $2.7 billion in yearly investments back into Nigeria. “To God be the glory, we didn’t let him down,” he said, tipping his hat to presidential support.

Educated in London and Singapore, Mairawani pairs boardroom polish with streetwise instincts. His early bet on Tangaza mobile pay, during Nigeria’s first push toward cashless banking, marked him as a man with an eye for timing. Recognition has followed: a UN SDGs Peace Ambassador title, and quiet philanthropy whispered more than shouted.

Still, cement is a stubborn trade. Market capitalisations above N5 trillion for BUA and N7 trillion for Dangote show just how steep the climb will be. Yet Mairawani thrives on steep climbs. He calls the Kebbi plant “a cluster,” as if building an empire were simply a matter of assembling bricks. And perhaps it is. For a man intent on reshaping skylines and balance sheets alike, the hum of mixers in Kebbi may one day sound like somthing more. Not noise, not dust, but the echo of a wager becoming history