By Abbas Nazil
BUA Group has distributed ₦30 billion in cash rewards to 510 employees at its 2025 Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards, marking one of the largest employee recognition initiatives ever carried out by a Nigerian private sector organisation.
The event, held in Lagos, celebrated workers whose service to the group spans from five years to more than four decades, underscoring BUA’s long-standing philosophy that sustainable business growth is driven by people rather than capital alone.
Founder and Executive Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, said the occasion was designed to honour loyalty, resilience, and the collective ownership employees have shown in building the company over the years.
He reflected on BUA’s evolution from modest beginnings 36 years ago into one of Nigeria’s most valuable listed conglomerates with a combined market capitalisation now running into trillions of naira.
Rabiu stressed that the Group’s growth was not the achievement of a single individual or leadership team, but the result of consistent dedication by employees who believed in the company’s vision long before it delivered visible results.
He maintained that every factory established, system strengthened, and challenge overcome carries the imprint of staff who committed their skills and loyalty to the organisation’s long-term goals.
As part of the 2025 awards, ₦30 billion was allocated across several categories recognising long service and exceptional performance among 510 employees nationwide.
Due to time constraints, only 41 awardees physically received their cheques from the Chairman during the ceremony, representing the highest award categories ranging from ₦100 million to ₦1 billion.
These included sixteen recipients of ₦100 million each, nine recipients of ₦200 million each, seven recipients of ₦250 million each, three recipients of ₦500 million each, and five recipients of ₦1 billion each.
One special award, whose cash value was not disclosed at the event, was presented to Kabiru Rabiu in recognition of his exceptional loyalty, leadership, and long-standing contribution to the stability and growth of the Group.
Rabiu explained that all other beneficiaries had already received their plaques and cheques or would do so at their respective plants and operational locations across the country.
He described the cash rewards as symbolic gestures, noting that financial compensation can never fully measure decades of dedication, sacrifice, and belief in the company’s mission.
Looking ahead, Rabiu reaffirmed BUA Group’s commitment to expanding capacity, investing in advanced technologies, and deepening its presence across cement, food, sugar, and infrastructure sectors.
He said the organisation would continue to grow alongside the people who helped build it, maintaining a culture rooted in shared prosperity and long-term thinking.
Established in 1988, BUA Group is one of Africa’s largest diversified conglomerates, with operations spanning cement, sugar, flour, pasta, steel, rice, real estate, logistics, ports, construction, and energy.
The group’s core focus remains building local manufacturing capacity, creating jobs, and delivering high-quality products that support sustainable development across Nigeria and the African continent.