BUA Group is one of Africa’s leading industrial conglomerates, with interests in everything, from cement to food.
The conglomerate is one of the most promising ventures in Africa. The CEO is Abdul Samad Isyaku Rabiu CON, a Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist. Born 4 August 1960 in Kano, Nigeria, Isyaku Rabiu is undoubtedly, one of Nigeria’s finest products, who has made the country proud in Africa and across the globe. His father, Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu, was one of Nigeria’s foremost industrialists in the 1970s and 1980s.
Abdul Samad’s BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate concentrates on manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture and produces a revenue in excess of $2.5 billion. Recently, a subsidiary of his conglomerate, BUA cements, signed an agreement with Sinoma CBMI of China for the construction of three new cement plants of 3million tonnes each per annum in Edo, Sokoto and Adamawa states of Nigeria to be completed by the end of 2022. Upon completion, the project will bring BUA Cement’s total capacity to 20million metric tonnes by 2022.
At 9million tonnes combined capacity, this is the single largest contract ever awarded in the Nigerian Cement Industry for the construction of new cement plants at the same time and by a single company, in Nigeria. Abdul Samad Rabiu established BUA International Limited in 1988 for the sole purpose of commodity trading. The company imported rice, edible oil, flour, and iron and steel.
In 1990, the government, which owned Delta Steel Company, contracted with BUA to supply its raw materials in exchange for finished products. This provided a much-needed windfall for the young company. BUA expanded further into steel, producing billets, importing iron ore, and constructing multiple rolling mills in Nigeria. A few years later, BUA acquired Nigerian Oil Mills Limited, the largest edible oil processing company in Nigeria. In 2005 BUA started two flour-milling plants, in Lagos and in Kano. By 2008, BUA had broken an eight-year monopoly in the Nigerian sugar industry by commissioning the second-largest sugar refinery in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2009 the company went on to acquire a controlling stake in a publicly-listed Cement Company in Northern Nigeria and began to construct a $900 million cement plant in Edo State, completing it in early 2015.
Away from its profits, The BUA Group has been a major contributor to the upliftment of the society, especially in the Nation’s fight against the dreaded COVID-19.
The Founder of the BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, was one of the early contributors to the noble course against Coronavirus. In April, 2020, he announced a 3.3billion Naira donation to Kano and Lagos states and the presidential task force to fight the novel COVID-19 disease. Amazing!
He also donated cash of 1 billion Naira donation, to the federal government, while BUA Group donated 300 million Naira was donated by the BUA company to Ogun, Sokoto and Edo States. Also, a sum of 100 million was donated by BUA to the Kaduna state government. Beyond this, BUA has never relented in its Corporate Social Responsibility among states in the country. Apparently, the conglomerate has contributed over $10 million in charitable gestures to several causes in Nigeria over the past few months. Suffice to say, Alh. Rabiu, its Chairman and BUA Group has entered into strategic partnerships with different States in the country to eradicate COVID-19 in Nigeria.
Apart from his donations, some of the BUA Group’s activities in some parts of Nigeria include, donation of Ambulances to state governments of Adamawa, Borno, Akwa-Ibom. The support is part of BUA’s effort aimed at combating the pandemic in the country. In August 2020, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State commended the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu for his support to the state in combating Covid-19. BUA presented three new emergency response ambulances to the Delta State Government.
Delta is the third state in the South-South and one of several across Nigeria that have benefited so far from BUA’s COVID 19 efforts which seek to provide additional support and assistance to various efforts and interventions across the country.
It is no over-statement to say BUA has committed over 7billion naira in cash, donations, infrastructure, foodstuff and medical supplies to the fight against covid-19. Other States that benefited from BUA’s philanthropic gestures, which included donation of thousands of facemasks are Kaduna, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe States. BUA Group, before this, has been known for contributing its quota to the development of Nigerian education sector. The Group also disbursed millions to women in some States as a micro grant, so as to alleviate the suffering of some communities.
BUA also made donations of relief materials worth millions to displaced persons.
