BUA Splashes ₦30bn on 510 Workers in Landmark Long-Service and Excellence Awards
Story: written by Zara December 15,2025
BUA Group has paid out a total of ₦30 billion to 510 employees during its 2025 Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards, marking one of the largest employee reward programmes ever carried out by a Nigerian private sector organisation.
The ceremony celebrated dedication, loyalty and outstanding performance, honouring staff members whose years of service range from five years to over 40 years. The initiative underscored BUA’s long-held philosophy that sustainable businesses are driven by committed people.
Speaking at the event, BUA Group Founder and Executive Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, described the occasion as a tribute to perseverance, loyalty and collective ownership of the BUA success story.
Rabiu recalled that BUA started modestly 36 years ago and has since grown into one of Nigeria’s most valuable publicly listed companies, with a combined market value now running into trillions of naira. He emphasised, however, that the Group’s growth was the product of collective effort rather than individual achievement.
“Every factory we built, every obstacle we overcame and every milestone we reached was made possible by employees who believed in the vision long before the rewards became visible,” Rabiu said.
He stressed that BUA views its workforce as partners in a shared legacy, not just employees, adding that loyalty and professionalism must be acknowledged with tangible rewards.
Under the 2025 awards programme, ₦30 billion was shared among 510 beneficiaries across various long-service and excellence categories. Due to time constraints, only 41 awardees in the highest categories received their cheques directly from the chairman during the ceremony.
The on-stage recipients included sixteen staff members who received ₦100 million each, nine who received ₦200 million, seven who received ₦250 million, three who got ₦500 million, and five employees who were awarded ₦1 billion each. A special recognition award, with an undisclosed cash value, was also presented.
The special honour went to Kabiru Rabiu for his exceptional commitment, leadership and long-standing contribution to the stability and expansion of the BUA Group.
Other award recipients had already received their plaques and cheques ahead of the event or are scheduled to receive them at their various plants and operational centres nationwide.
Rabiu described the financial rewards as symbolic, noting that no amount of money can fully compensate for decades of dedication, sacrifice and belief in the company’s mission.
Looking to the future, he reaffirmed BUA’s commitment to expanding capacity, adopting advanced technologies and deepening its presence in cement, food, sugar and infrastructure, assuring that the people who built the Group would continue to grow alongside it.
The Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards remains a cornerstone of BUA’s corporate culture, reflecting values of shared prosperity, long-term vision and respect for its workforce.
The event was attended by staff, partners and customers, alongside notable dignitaries and industry leaders, including Aliko Dangote, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite, and Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
