BUA Group on Saturday rewarded 510 employees with a total cash payout of ₦30 billion at its 2025 Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards, in what the company described as one of the biggest staff reward programmes ever carried out by a Nigerian private sector firm.
The ceremony honoured workers whose service spans five years to more than four decades, celebrating long-term commitment, loyalty and exceptional performance across the Group’s operations.
Speaking at the event, BUA Founder and Executive Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu (CFR, CON), said the occasion was designed to recognise the people whose dedication helped build the company’s story over the years.
Rabiu traced BUA’s growth from “modest beginnings” about 36 years ago to becoming one of Nigeria’s most valuable listed enterprises, noting that its combined market capitalisation has climbed into the trillions of naira. He stressed, however, that the milestones were not achieved by capital or boardroom decisions alone, but by employees who stayed committed long before the results became visible.
According to him, the company’s progress—from factories built to systems strengthened and obstacles overcome—reflects the contributions of workers who carried the vision and helped sustain the business through different phases of expansion.
As part of the 2025 awards, BUA disbursed the ₦30 billion to 510 recipients across long service and excellence categories. Due to time limits during the programme, only 41 top-tier awardees received their cheques and plaques on stage from the Chairman. These were the highest-value categories, with individual awards ranging from ₦100 million to ₦1 billion.
A breakdown of the on-stage awards showed 16 recipients got ₦100 million each, nine received ₦200 million each, seven received ₦250 million each, three took home ₦500 million each, while five workers received ₦1 billion each. There was also a special award presented to Kabiru Rabiu for what the company described as exceptional loyalty, leadership and long-standing contribution to BUA’s growth and stability, though the cash value of that category was not announced at the event.
BUA said other awardees had already received their plaques and cheques ahead of the ceremony, while the remaining recipients would get theirs at various plants and operational locations nationwide.
Rabiu described the cash gifts as symbolic, adding that financial rewards cannot fully capture decades of dedication, sacrifice and belief in the organisation’s mission. He also said the Group would continue to expand capacity, invest in advanced technology and deepen its presence across cement, food, sugar and infrastructure, insisting that employees would remain central to BUA’s long-term plans.
The Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards, BUA said, forms part of its internal culture built around shared prosperity and respect for people who drive the business.
The ceremony also drew notable dignitaries and industry leaders, including Aliko Dangote, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Minister of State for Finance Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, and Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, alongside partners, customers and other well-wishers.
