Nigeria: Lafarge Africa has officially changed its name to HBM Nigeria. It said that the rebranding reflected its “…evolved business vision, long-term growth objectives and renewed commitment to delivering superior value to stakeholders.” Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, Group Managing Director and CEO, affirmed that the company remained committed to Nigeria. He added, “We remain focused on delivering quality cement, concrete, aggregates, and innovative building solutions that support infrastructure development, housing growth and industrialisation.”

China-based Huaxin Building Materials completed its acquisition of Lafarge Africa in mid-2025. The change of name to HBM Nigeria was approved by shareholders in April 2026.

Saudi Arabia: Najran Cement says that an anticipated increase in its production costs due to rising fuel prices has been mitigated by it signed an agreement with the Industrial Competitiveness Program. The program is intended to enhance operational efficiency, reduce production costs and improve the sustainability of industrial operations. Subsequently, it now forecasts that its production costs will rise by 8%. In January 2026 it warned that an increase in the price of fuels by its supplier Saudi Aramco would lead to a 13% rise in production costs.

The cement producer also confirmed that it is continuing to work on operational improvement and cost optimisation projects to further mitigate fuel costs. These measures are planned to reduce production costs by a further 3% and should start be reflected in the company's financial results for the second quarter of 2026.

Nigeria: David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has asked that cement producers reduce their prices. He warned that the current cost of cement is making infrastructure projects difficult and the government is being forced to continually adjust project contracts, according to the Punch newspaper. The government is preparing to start formal engagements with cement companies from 1 July 2026 on the issue. Umahi made the comments while giving a keynote address at the rebranding of Lafarge Africa as HBM Nigeria.

In a statement Umahi said “I want to insist that Lafarge, now HBM Nigeria, and other manufacturers of cement, should reduce their prices. We shall be engaging on this from 1 July 2026. Manufacturers of cement must reduce their prices because the contractors are urging me to review their contracts. But nobody is reviewing anybody’s contract. It’s the manufacturers of cement that should review their cost.” He added that reducing cement prices would both support the delivery of infrastructure projects and benefit citizens who use cement for domestic construction projects. He also urged cement companies to increase their production capacity to support government projects.

Cambodia: Prime Minister Hun Manet has announced that tax incentives for local cement producers will be extended for two years until the end of 2028. He made the declaration during a meeting with Cambodia Cement Manufacturing Association (CCMA) chair Vinh Huor at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, according to the Xinhua News Agency. The CCMA chair revealed that CCMA member companies have invested approximately US$1.2bn to reach a production capacity of 12My/yr. CCMA members  supply 8 – 9Mt/yr to the local market and 85% of raw materials are sourced locally.