Country

Known occurrences/location/quantity

Suitability

Current use

Burkina Faso

Limestone at Tambu and Bobo-Dioulasso

50,000 ton cement plant being planned at Tambau. Cement plant being discussed for Bobo-Dioulasso

Artisanal production of lime based on deposit at Bobo-Dioulasso

Burundi

Matongo - 5 million tons
(CaO: 30-50 per cent, MgO: 0.5-5 per cent)

Cement

Lime is being produced at Bukumba, and Busiga, Makamba Bubanza on small scale

Cibitoke region - 300,000 tons
(CaO: 20-50 per cent)

Lime

Bubanza - not estimated

Busiga - Too small for industrial exploitation

Lime

Dolomitic limestone

Kasenyi (kajeke) - 50 million tons
(MgO: 0.5-20 per cent)

Lime production

Cibitoke - 200,000 tons

Lime

Mosso region - 10 million tons
(MgO: 1-25 per cent)

Lime

Artisanal production of lime in Mosso region

Cameroon

Deposits in northern part at Bizder (over 4 million tons) and Fiquil (about 900,000 tons). Also limestone bearing strata observed in mountains near Douala.

Cement and lime production

Cement plants at Bonaberi, near Douala, and Fiquil in the north. Hydraulic lime produced in Douala.

Congo

Limestone deposits in region of Loutete and Jacob on the Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire rail line at 315 km from Brazzaville. Reserves estimated at over 100 million tons.

Studied for cement production

Djibouti

Deposit about 91 km from Djibouti. Estimated reserves about 30 million tons of high quality limestone.

Cement and lime

Proposals for setting up plants for production of cement and lime under discussion.

Ethiopia

Rich in limestone deposits at Dire-Dawn, Addis Ababa, Massawa. Others situated in the Blue Nile valley and in different locations in Tigari and Harrar provinces. Several other deposits across the country.

Cement

Cement produced at Dire Daqa, Addis Ababa and Massawa.

Gabon

Deposits of Coniquest Island estimated at over 5 million tons

Cement

Gambia

Clam shells available. No economic limestone deposits located yet. Known deposit has overburden of 400 metres which limits development possibilities.

Shells are suitable for lime production

Artisanal burning of shells to make lime. No organized commercial production.

Ghana

Limestone deposits at Nauli (over 13 million tons), Wenchi, Buipe-Banka, Bongo-Da (2.2 million tons) and Oterkpolu. Other deposits at Anyaboni, Kitampo, Abeasi, Daboya, Salega-Yeji area.

Dolomitic limestone at Buipe, Daboya, Longoro, Kaguruge Kago, Bongo-Da (about 5 million tons), Walewale and Kanjaga

Clam shell deposits occur mainly on the banks of the Bolta River, north of Akuse from Amedika to Bator. About 700,000 tons available for exploitation

Although Nauli lime- stone is suitable for cement production, large overburden makes exploitation uneconomical at this time.

Wenchi deposit also has large overburden. Small-scale cement plant is proposed at Bongo-Da and Oterkpolu deposits found suitable for lime production. 40,000 tons per year lime plant to be established soon at Buipe

Clam shells are suitable for lime production

Artisanal lime production at Oterkpolu

Private entrepreneur produces lime from shells

Guinea

Deposits at Sougu (exact reserves not known; studies in progress), Amali, Sigure and Kakoulima (near Conakry)

Cement and lime production

300,000 tons cement plant being planned at Sougu. Mini-cement plant being considered for Sigure.

Guinea Bissau

Limestone available in western part of country. Studies in progress to estimate quantity and suitability for building materials production. 100,000 tons of clam shells spread over small islands south-west of mainland

Studies in progress

Suitable for lime production. Small scale plants could be set up.

Kenya

Limestone is very abundant. Coral limestone on the coast; limestone at Kunkar, South Nyanza

Lime is being manufactured at Mombasa, Tureka and Koru

Madagascar

Deposits at Majunga, Ibity (in region of Antsirabe), Saolara (south of Tullar). There are several other deposits that could be exploited.

The Majunga deposit serves an existing cement plant

Malawi

Chalugame deposit

Serves existing cement plant

Mali

Limestone deposits in five of the nine regions. Deposits at Diamou, Astrou, Kayes, Bafoulable. Clam shells are also available.

Suitable for production of cement and lime

Cement being produced at Diamou. New cement plant to be set up at Astrou. Lime produced by UCEMA at Djikoroni, 5 km from Bamako using Diamou limestone. Artisanal production of lime from clam shells.

Niger

Limestone at Balbaza

Cement

About 30,000 tons cement being produced annually.

Nigeria

Sokoto limestone deposits: 100 million tons+;
Ewekoro: 35 million tons+;
Makurdi: 20 million tons+;
Calabar: 10-15 million tons;
Other deposits at Nkalagu, Yandew Ashaka

Cement is currently being produced at Ewekoro, Calabar, Nkalagu, Sokoto, Ukpilla, Shagamu, Ashaka and Yandew.

Rwanda

Travertine limestones occur at Mashyuza, Gishyuta, Kalonzi and Rwaza-Pengu. The Mashyuza deposit is estimated at over 60 million tons.

Good quality. Could be used for cement or lime production. Small-scale lime plants planned.

Plant being built at Mashyuza to produce 50,000 tons of cement per year

Senegal

Limestone deposit at Rufisque estimated quantity 25 million tons.

Cement production

Cement plant at Refisque has been operating since 1948

Limestone deposits also at Pout, estimated at over 80 million tons, and at Casamance

Suitable for cement and lime production

Artisanal production of lime. Govern- mental project for commercial production of cement and lime at Pout is in the pipeline.

Sea shells available at some locations

Lime production

Artisanal production of lime from sea shells

Somalia

Good limestone deposits near Berb and Mogadishu

Sudan

Pure limestone at Wadi Khurmut on west bank of the Nile, near Atbara. Deposits in Shereik area, northern province, at Jebel Nyfr near Jebelein, Blue Nile Province, and at Jebel Saqadi, near Sennar. All dolomitic

Togo

Three main deposits of limestone at Tokpli, Av and Mango (clam shells). Six deposits of dolomite occurr at Gnaoulou, Pagala, DjamdMAmou and Akposso. Small deposits at BohoulKamina Nakane, Klh/TD>

Tokpli deposit suitable for cement production. Av deposit could be used for lime but is limited because of high P₂O₅ content (3.5 per cent). Deposit has been reserved for cement production. Mango clam shells suitable for lime production. Dolomites tested and found generally suitable for lime production.

CIMAO project of Togo, Ghana and Cd’Ivoire based on limestone deposit in the region of Tokpli

Uganda

Deposits at Tororo, Suku Hills and Kasese

Existing cement plants depend on deposits at Tororo and Suku Hills

United Republic of Tanzania

In all regions. Over 250 known occurrencies in Arusha, Coastal, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Kigoma, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Tanga regions.

Deposits suitable for lime manufacture are found in Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Tanga regions

Local lime burning in Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Morogoro regions. Commercial lime plants - Marwa and Sanya lime works (Kilimanjaro) Mbeya lime works (Mbeya) Darlime works (Dar-es-Salaam). 16 lime kilns set up by SIDO

Zaire

Several deposits of lime- stone found in various parts of country. For example, deposits in Kivu province are: Katana - Luiro, large but not estimated; Katana-Koukondo, 2 x 10⁶ m³; Rutshuru, 800,000 m³_; Indata 4 x 10⁶ m³, Rumangabo, 1.3 x 10⁶ m³. Other important deposits occur in Bas Zaire, Shaba and Haut Zaire provinces. The deposit in Kisangani area (Haut Zaire) estimated to be infinitely large - 525 m thickness over hundreds of km² of area.

Deposits suitable for cement and lime are found

Cement is produced in five plants in two provinces. There are two large commercial producers of lime (for own consumption) some 20 other small lime plants across country

Zambia

Extensive reserves of limestone found in the Kundelungu in Lusaka, Mumbwa, Kafue Solwezi and Copperbelt areas. Deposits at Chilanga, Ndola.

Ndola deposit suitable for lime production

Deposit at Chilanga is being exploited for cement production

Zimbabwe

Several limestone deposits scattered across the country. Evaluated reserves are over 700 million tons.