Abdul Samad Rabiu’s BUA pours $65 million into port terminal project

Key Points

• BUA Group invests $65 million in Rivers Port Terminal to modernize Nigeria’s infrastructure, targeting Q1 2026 completion without public funds. 
• Port dispute resolved after government approval; project reinstated following presidential directive and NPA leadership change. 
• Abdul Samad Rabiu expands industrial footprint, investing over $1 billion since 2023 in food security, manufacturing, and regional development.

BUA Group, one of Africa’s fastest-growing industrial giants led by Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, has committed over $65 million in private capital to reconstruct Terminal B at the Rivers Port Complex in Port Harcourt. The project, fully self-funded by BUA, aims to boost Nigeria’s port infrastructure and is slated for completion by the first quarter of 2026. 

This follows public controversy after former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director Hadiza Bala Usman accused BUA of breaching concession terms. BUA clarified that the reconstruction was formally approved by the government in 2022 after the Attorney General directed the NPA to lift its suspension of the project. The contract was awarded to Italian construction firm TREVI and has progressed without any public funds or subsidies.

Port infrastructure dispute and resolution

The conflict dates back to June 2019 when the NPA decommissioned berths 6 and 7, citing safety concerns, which BUA contested in court through its subsidiary, BUA Ports and Terminals Ltd. BUA argued the suspension violated its concession agreement. 

The dispute escalated to Nigeria’s Attorney General in 2020 following a direct appeal from Rabiu to then-President Muhammadu Buhari. A presidential directive subsequently ordered the NPA to revoke its termination and reinstate BUA’s rights to the terminal. 

After the change in NPA leadership in 2022, the authority formally approved the terminal’s reconstruction. BUA highlighted that the 2019 shutdown jeopardized over 4,000 jobs and caused losses exceeding $10 million. The Rivers Port Terminal upgrade is critical to BUA’s $500 million industrial complex, which includes sugar, pasta, and flour manufacturing plants.

BUA’s expanding industrial footprint

Founded in 1988, BUA Group has expanded into a powerhouse in manufacturing, food processing, mining, and infrastructure across Africa. With a personal net worth estimated at $4.7 billion, Abdul Samad Rabiu continues to champion local production, regional partnerships, and sustainable infrastructure development to drive Africa’s industrialization.

Since 2023, BUA has invested more than $1 billion in various sectors, underscoring confidence in Nigeria’s business climate under the current government’s pro-investment policies. Recently, BUA handed over a multi-purpose building to the North-West Development Commission in Kano State, reinforcing its commitment to regional development. The company also partnered with Agrimac Makina to install wheat handling equipment, enhancing Nigeria’s annual food production capacity to 2 million metric tonnes—further advancing national food security goals.