Gambia Cement Crisis, Jah Oil Attributes Shortage to Insufficient Port Capacity, Retailers, and Drivers

By: Dawda Baldeh

As the nation grapples with a cement shortage that has pushed prices above D650 per bag, Jah Oil, one of the country’s major suppliers, has blamed inadequate port capacity for large vessels as the primary cause of the crisis.

Speaking at a press briefing at the company’s headquarters in Brikama, General Manager Momodou Hydara said the shortage is beyond their control. He criticised the port for failing to berth larger vessels and also accused some drivers and retailers of inflating prices for their own benefit.

Two vessels carrying thousands of tonnes of cement remain stranded in Gambian waters because they cannot dock, with each vessel carrying over one hundred and fifteen thousand metric tonnes.

“The primary reason for the shortage is the port’s inability to berth and discharge our containers because of congestion,” Mr Hydara said. He explained that the port’s navigational channels, established in 1965, are too shallow for modern vessels, which require depths of eleven to fifteen metres. The port has a depth limit of nine point five metres.

“If you have a vessel of sixty five thousand metric tonnes, it will not be able to cross the channel,” he said, adding that Jah Oil has acquired smaller vessels worth about one million dollars to assist in discharging cargo from larger ships. He noted that these investments are meant to improve service delivery.

Mr Hydara rejected claims that Jah Oil has increased its cement prices, insisting their wholesale price remains D390. He blamed price hikes on drivers who he said charge over D30 per bag to transport cement. “Drivers are irresponsibly charging individuals more than D25 per bag from our depot to Farato, and the same drivers will charge D30 per bag to Soma,” he said.

He further accused some retailers of deliberately raising prices to over D650 per bag in an attempt to make the product unaffordable so that the government would intervene. “They purchase cement from us at D390 and resell it to customers for over D650, how can that be our fault? They have hidden agendas to damage our reputation, but our prices remain unchanged.”

The General Manager urged Gambians to support the company as it works to expand local production. He dismissed rumours that Jah Oil lacks the capacity to supply the country, saying they have increased their output from one hundred thousand bags per day to four hundred thousand bags per day by 2025.

“There are certain factors that are beyond our control. We urge the port management to upgrade the shallow channel to facilitate smoother vessel movement,” he said. He confirmed that two vessels are currently waiting in Gambian waters to offload and reiterated that Jah Oil will maintain its prices. Mr Hydara also called for urgent dredging of the port and improvements to ensure smoother operations.

 By: Dawda Baldeh As the nation grapples with a cement shortage that has pushed prices above D650 per bag, Jah Oil, one of the country’s major suppliers, has blamed inadequate port capacity for large vessels as the primary cause of the crisis. Speaking at a press briefing at the company’s headquarters in Brikama, General Manager The Fatu Network