Nigerian Industrialist, Abdul-Samad Rabiu Stands Out With His COVID-19 Donations
In 2013, American business magazine, Forbes estimated the documented net worth of Nigerian industrialist Abdul-Samad Rabiu at $1.2 billion; qualifying him to be included in the list of world’s billionaires.
He has been in the spotlight of African business scene ever since; and as of June 30, 2020, his real-time wealth is pegged at $3 billion, making him the 8th richest man in Africa and 712th in the world.
Before now, the businessman who had kept a low profile was the brain behind BUA Group, one of the biggest conglomerates in Africa.
Abdul-Samad Rabiu is the Chairman and CEO of BUA Group, a company he started in 1988 to deal in the imports and commodity business. From 1990, BUA began expanding into subsidiaries that include cement manufacturing, real estate, ports and terminals services, sugar refining, and edible oil production.
On being successful in Africa, he believes that all it takes is to harness the resources within the continent.
“The whole world is coming to Africa. Look at what has been happening in the last ten years or so; that is because of the resources that we have. We really have to harness what we have here in Africa. We have oil & gas, iron ore; we have land, bauxite… We have everything. If we open up Africa, the sky will be the limit for us,” he said on BBC African Voices Changemakers.
Born on August 4, 1960, in Kano to a father who was one of Nigeria’s foremost businessmen, Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu and educated at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio USA, Abdul-Samad started his career by assuming management of his family’s business, the Isyaku Rabiu & Sons Group after his father was arrested in 1984 by the military government for allegedly not paying rice import duties. He later left to start his own company.
He is a recipient of many business awards and has been honoured for his philanthropic contributions through the BUA Foundation. Abdul-Samad holds the title of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and sits on the board of many notable organizations. He is also the Chairman of the Bank of Industry.
In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, he announced a 1 billion Naira donation through the BUA Foundation, and also placed an order for a donation of needed equipment and medical supplies to nine Nigerian states such as Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Edo, Kwara, Rivers, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, and Sokoto.
Speaking on the donation, he said,
“This donation will not only provide additional needed funds to the government and NCDC’s efforts but will also serve to protect healthcare and medical workers on the frontlines of fighting the pandemic.
“In addition to donating the ordered medical supplies and equipment to the two most populated states in Northern and Southern Nigeria, we have also selected 7 states across all geopolitical regions in Nigeria where significant members of the BUA workforce and their families are situated to help preparedness and response to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“Each of these 9 states will receive about 100,000 protective facemasks, 1000 high-grade medical protection and isolation gear, 2000 protective goggles, 1000 gloves, and 1000 testing kits amongst other things.”
Abdul-Samad Rabiu was honoured in Neusroom’s list of People, Organisations, Countries, and Things helping the world fight COVID-19. See the full list here.
Writer: Humphrey Anyim
Designer: Kume Akpubi
