Abdul Samad Rabiu, billionaire industrialist and Executive Chairman of BUA Group, has been named the Edge Industrial Leadership Icon of the Year at the 2026 Edge Awards.
Quick facts
- Rabiu received the Edge Industrial Leadership Icon of the Year honour.
- BUA Group was named Edge Outstanding Industrial Brand of the Year.
- BUA Foods and BUA Cement have a combined market value of almost ₦24 trillion on the Nigerian Exchange.
- BUA operates across food production, cement, ports and terminals, construction materials and other strategic industries.
The award recognised the expansion of BUA under Rabiu into one of Africa’s major industrial groups. Its portfolio spans foods, cement, ports and terminals, construction materials and other sectors considered important to the economy.
BUA Group also secured the Edge Outstanding Industrial Brand of the Year award. The honour cited its role in promoting indigenous industrialisation, strengthening its brand and supporting Nigeria’s economic growth.
Group Chief Operating Officer Chimaobi Madukwe accepted both prizes for Rabiu. He said the chairman’s commitment to domestic production and patient, long-term business building had guided BUA’s development.
Madukwe said the awards reflected years of capital investment, industrial growth and sustained confidence in Nigeria. He added that they reinforced BUA’s obligation to continue expanding local capacity, generating employment, creating businesses and delivering value at scale.
He expressed appreciation to the organisers and attributed the achievement to the wider BUA workforce, whose commitment helped secure the recognition.
BUA Foods and BUA Cement, the group’s two publicly traded subsidiaries, together command a market capitalisation of close to ₦24 trillion on the Nigerian Exchange.
The Edge Awards are held each year to recognise Nigerian companies and brands in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, as well as the advertising, brand-management and public-relations firms involved in developing them.
