When a Billionaire Decides to Actually Change Things: The Abdul Samad Rabiu Story
Let me tell you about something that doesn't happen very often in Africa—or anywhere, really.
You know how most billionaires do charity? They show up at a gala, write a cheque, pose for photos, and disappear until next year's tax season. It's nice, sure. But does it actually change anything?
Abdul Samad Rabiu is doing something different. And honestly? It's worth paying attention to.
The Man Behind the Mission
Here's the backstory you need: Rabiu didn't inherit his fortune and decide to play philanthropist. He built BUA Group from the ground up, starting in 1988 with a trading company. Born in Kano to a family of businessmen, he cut his teeth in his father's IRS Group before heading to Capital University in Ohio for his economics degree.
When he came back to Nigeria, he didn't just pick up where he left off—he carved his own path. Rice, edible oils, flour, steel. One commodity at a time, he built something real.
But here's what makes him different from your average tycoon: Rabiu figured out early that you can't just sell products in Nigeria. You need to control every step of the process—from raw materials to finished goods. This "backward integration" strategy didn't just make him rich; it made his companies essential to Nigeria's economy.
And that's when things got interesting.
The Moment Everything Shifted
COVID-19 hit, and something clicked for Rabiu.
Look, the BUA Foundation was already doing good work—donating billions in cash, food, and medical supplies when the pandemic struck. But Rabiu saw something bigger. He saw Africa's cracks laid bare: weak healthcare, struggling schools, crumbling infrastructure.
So, in 2021, he launched ASR Africa with a jaw-dropping commitment: $100 million every year to solve African problems with African solutions.
Not advisory boards. Not "awareness campaigns." Actual, tangible projects across three areas: Health, Education, and Social Development.
What "Systemic Impact" Really Looks Like
Here's what sets Rabiu apart from most philanthropists: he doesn't do band-aids.
Think about it this way—a lot of charities will hand out medicine. Rabiu builds the diagnostic centres and oncology wards where that medicine actually gets used. Some foundations give scholarships. Rabiu builds the lecture halls and laboratories where those scholars will learn.
It's the difference between giving someone a fish and... well, not even teaching them to fish. More like building the entire fishing port.
And here's the kicker: ASR Africa uses World Bank cost models to track every dollar. Milestones. Accountability. Real transparency. In a landscape where "informal giving" is the norm, this level of rigor is almost unheard of among Nigerian private sector leaders.
Let's Talk About That ₦30 Billion Employee Reward
December 2025. Lagos. The BUA Group's "Night of Excellence."
Abdul Samad Rabiu stood up and announced he was giving ₦30 billion—that's about $20.7 million—in cash awards to 1,768 long-serving employees.
But here's what made headlines: this wasn't just for the executives. The frontline workers? The people who actually make things run every day? They got substantial amounts too.
Oh, and that came after he'd already given every single BUA Group employee a 50% salary increase earlier that year to help them cope with Nigeria's rising cost of living.
When asked about it, Rabiu put it simply: the BUA Group's trillion-naira market value? That's not one man's achievement. That's the collective work of every person who believed in the vision before anyone else could see the results.
That's not just corporate responsibility. That's treating your people like partners in a shared legacy.
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From home to the office in Dubai — back to work after the New Year. Grateful to God for ushering us into 2026, and looking forward to a year of purpose, progress, and success.
#ASR#AbdulSamadRabiu
Delighted to Return to School of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State.
In continuation of my itinerant visits to educational and healthcare institutions in the country, yesterday, I visited the School of Nursing Sciences, Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku, where I met with the management, staff, and students, and presented a donation of ₦15 million to the institution.
I reminded the students that the world needs them more than they need the world because healthcare is one of humanity’s most fundamental needs. Any nation that truly desires development must invest in the education and training of healthcare professionals, who remain indispensable to the well-being and productivity of society.
I was delighted to inspect the computer laboratory, which I had previously supported, and to witness the remarkable progress the institution has made. It was also encouraging to reflect on other health institutions, such as Iyi-Enu and Borromeo, which I supported over the years and which have now grown into teaching hospitals. Their transformation reinforces my belief that sustained investments in health and education can produce enduring results. I look forward to seeing Holy Rosary Hospital attain the same status.
Our vision must be to build a Nigeria where functional institutions produce competent professionals, where investments are directed to critical sectors that lift people out of poverty, and where every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed. That is how we will build a nation where the son of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
The Presidential Candidate of our great Party, the NDC, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi has donated 15 million to Holy rosary nursing school.
If he can do this as a private citizen, how much more will he achieve when elected President in 2027?
Nigerians, this is your chance.
The OK Movement joins His Excellency. Peter Obi and Millions of Nigerians in calling for the resignation of President Tinubu. Our nation cannot continue to endure the consequences of ineffective leadership and poor governance.
Nigeria deserves competent, accountable leadership.
Nigeria must be OK.
I just received this precious book, The Maths Fix, from @OoTheNigerian.
It was a special gift from @conradwolfram Conrad Wolfram from the University of Oxford.
This is more than a book. It is a blueprint for the mathematics revolution we must drive in South-East Nigeria and a guide for preparing our children for the AI age.
The world has changed. Mathematics education must change with it.
We cannot keep training children for a future that no longer exists. We must equip them with the tools, thinking, and computational skills needed to thrive in the age of AI.
The future belongs to societies that prepare early. We intend to be one of them.
SOWORE BEING SENT TO PRISON: A DANGEROUS REGRESSION FOR OUR DEMOCRACY
I have received, with deep concern, the news of the court’s remand of citizen activist Omoyele Sowore in Kuje Prison.
While the judiciary remains the ultimate arbiter of justice, we must consistently guard against any trend that gives the appearance of state institutions being weaponised to systematically stifle dissent, muzzle the press, or shrink the legitimate space for civic engagement in Nigeria.
A thriving democracy does not survive on the silencing of opposing voices; rather, it is anchored on the robust protection of fundamental human rights, most notably the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in our Constitution. Moreover, our society is already strained by insecurity and biting economic hardship; therefore, deliberate steps should be taken, even by the courts, to avoid inflaming the situation.
When we begin to treat citizen critics, activists, and journalists as threats to state survival rather than as partners in building accountability, we signal a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism. Our current challenges, ranging from economic strain to internal security vulnerabilities, require inclusive dialogue and cohesive nation-building, not the incarceration of those who demand a better society.
I urge the relevant authorities to ensure that the rule of law is strictly adhered to, that Mr. Sowore’s constitutional rights are fully protected, and that our security and judicial institutions are used solely for the impartial administration of justice. We cannot build a New Nigeria if we continue to undermine the very democratic structures meant to protect us all. -PO
just in the exact words of @DavidHundeyin
congratulate the rigged in candidate, with a sprinkle of acknowledging irregularities "ear & dear"
enablers!
We welcome the mostly peaceful conduct of the Ekiti State election and congratulate Gov Oyebanji on his re-election.
We note concerns of accessibility for voters with disabilities, instances of vote trading & of technical issues with BVAS at some polling units.
Statement below👇
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@aonanuga1956 bayo, metering darkness is not a reform.
we are in a democracy, citizens have the right to call for the resignation of its president.
oyo students & teachers are held by terror!sts. insecurity everywhere.
nigerians deserve better.
tinubu has failed woefully & must resign.
bayo, metering darkness is not a reform.
we are in a democracy, citizens have the right to call for the resignation of its president.
oyo students & teachers are held by terror!sts. insecurity everywhere.
nigerians deserve better.
tinubu has failed woefully & must resign.
STATEHOUSE STATEMENT
Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation childish and an unwarranted distraction
Peter Obi’s latest comments calling for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation, based on a comparison with the British prime minister's voluntary exit, are not only misplaced but also reflect a selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s realities since 2023.
His view is also simplistic, as is often the case anytime he opens his mouth. Obi forgets our country does not run a parliamentary system of government like the UK. We run a presidential system, with the president elected to a fixed 4-year term. The people of Ekiti State and the senatorial constituents in Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo, and Rivers have just delivered a resounding victory for President Tinubu and his party. The election results, some early referendum of sorts, show that President Tinubu and his party are popular with Nigerians. This should be more concerning for Peter Obi and his new Special Purpose Vehicle, NDC, as we move towards the January 2027 election. Obi should wait until the presidential election to know what the people think of Tinubu’s government. Moving to use X to harangue the President out of office is off the mark and anti-democratic.
It is important to note that President Tinubu did not inherit a country in perfect shape. The security challenges we face today are longstanding and deeply rooted. Yet under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria has made significant, measurable progress. Hundreds of people have been rescued from captivity, including high-profile operations in Borno and the Northwest. Our gallant troops have neutralised terrorist kingpins, sometimes with the help of our foreign allies. Over 15,000 terrorists have been taken off the streets and forests, and security operations have intensified nationwide. President Tinubu has not only sustained but also expanded investments in security by deploying advanced technologies and drones, and by appointing a Special Adviser on Homeland Security to ensure a holistic approach. These actions demonstrate commitment, not failure. It is laughable that Obi, who, as governor, was a colossal failure, unable to secure lives and property in his small state of Anambra, as documented by his successor, Willie Obiano, is now the one calling for President Tinubu’s resignation over security breaches in some parts of the country.
On the economic front, Obi’s depiction of decline and his verdict that “We are in the worst possible condition” ignore verifiable data and global plaudits for President Tinubu’s economic and social policies. President Tinubu inherited what another successor of Peter Obi described as ‘a dead horse economy’. When he came on board in May 2023, President Tinubu introduced bold, courageous policies that his predecessors had shied away from. Since then, the Nigerian economy has posted positive GDP growth every quarter, surpassing the global average. Trade surpluses have been recorded consistently, and foreign reserves have hit new highs—over $50 billion. Oil production has risen from less than one million barrels per day to about 1.8 million, reversing years of decline. Federation revenue is projected to hit over N30 trillion this year, far above the 2022 level of N7.7 trillion. By May this year, N15.7 trillion has already been collected, more than twice the entire revenue collected in 2022. State governments now have more resources to pursue development projects in education, infrastructure, health care, housing, and so on. The stock market has soared, with the All-Share Index rising from 50,000 to over 250,000, creating wealth for about 6 million Nigerian investors. The Naira-to-dollar exchange rate has been stable. Foreign Direct and Portfolio Investments are at record highs, reflecting renewed investor confidence, especially in the oil and gas sector.
President Tinubu has also set records in infrastructure delivery, building concrete roads that will last 100 years or more across all the country's geopolitical zones and actualising the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways, roads dreamt of for decades.
Unlike leaders before him, President Tinubu has proven not only to be a reform-minded and courageous leader but also an innovator, for instance, replacing expensive petrol and diesel with CNG and offering close to two million Nigerian tertiary students interest-free loans to pursue their education. Are conditions worsening in our country when, in three years of Tinubu’s leadership, we have recorded no disruption of the academic calendar by trade unions such as ASUU or NASU? That is one of President Tinubu’s campaign promises to our students: a four-year programme will be a four-year programme. It has been a promise well kept, which Obi, in his penchant for bad news, has never sung about and will never acknowledge.
Concerning President Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu guaranteed 24-hour electricity for all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and which Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of mischief, was: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me—unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.”
The first policy President Tinubu implemented upon taking office was to sign the Electricity Act, which enables states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity independently of the centralised grid system. To end the fraudulent estimated billing, his administration has rolled out millions of prepaid meters and plans to install seven million more. Power generation is increasing. The government has intensified its provision of off-grid solar power to schools, hospitals, and markets in many parts of the country. The real challenge remains transmission infrastructure and sustainable pricing, which are now being addressed, to attract fresh investment into the sector.
No one denies that Nigeria has challenges, especially regarding the high cost of living. But any honest politician will agree this is a global problem resulting from the tensions in the Middle East. Just recently, as inflation was receding in Nigeria, a disruption to the global economy occurred when America and Israel attacked Iran, and Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, creating disruption in the global supply system and high prices of many commodities, including crude oil.
Peter Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation is childish and hollow. It is not a call to hold the leader accountable. It is merely a political grandstand and an unworthy distraction just hours after President Tinubu's party recorded resounding victories in the weekend polls.
Leadership is about determination to confront the challenges facing our country and the economy. President Tinubu focuses on solutions, not rhetoric—investing in reforms, stabilising the economy, improving security, and laying the groundwork for a more prosperous Nigeria. He is not waiting to learn from Bangladesh, Rwanda or Egypt. He has a team of thinkers and doers. And Nigeria, under him, has been an exemplar for other nations to copy.
True leadership means staying the course, learning, adapting, and delivering results. President Tinubu has shown he is up to the task, and Nigeria is on the path to progress.
With his puerile tweet on X, we are now convinced that Peter Obi lives in his self-constructed echo chambers, where he reels off lie after lie to himself and believes his self-created reality about the situation in Nigeria. We sympathise with him. That reality he fantasises about is mostly a figment of his imagination.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
June 22, 2026
Owning Up to Leadership Failures and Political Responsibility
This morning, I listened to the British Prime Minister’s speech announcing his planned resignation in July. As a keen observer of global politics, my primary interest lies in examining what successful nations do right and the structural factors that cause others to lag or struggle with governance and development.
The Prime Minister’s planned resignation comes amid mounting public frustration over a stagnant economy, a worsening cost-of-living crisis, and a perceived failure to honour key campaign pledges.
Looking inward in our dear country, we can recall our own situation. Before 2015, our President on several occasions championed the call for the then President Goodluck Jonathan to resign over economic hardship and insecurity affecting Nigerians. During the Chibok school kidnapping incident, he demanded the immediate resignation of President Jonathan, arguing that the government had failed in its most fundamental duty of protecting lives.
During the 2023 election campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made several promises, including improved electricity supply. He also challenged the electorate not to vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver on those commitments—particularly in providing stable power, fighting corruption, and improving the welfare of Nigerians.
At present, however, these conditions have worsened. Electricity supply remains unreliable, insecurity has intensified in many areas, including kidnappings, and economic hardship has deepened rather than eased. Similar concerns are reflected across other critical sectors such as security, infrastructure, transportation, and anti-corruption efforts, all of which have regressed. We are in the worst possible condition.
I, therefore, join Nigerians of goodwill in calling for the resignation of the President over monumental failure in governance. Such a gesture would help enthrone a political culture rooted in accountability and responsibility, rather than further entrenching impunity. It would also send a powerful message that public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement, and help build a society in which future leaders understand that failure carries consequences. Only by ending the culture of impunity can we secure a better future for the society our children will inherit in a New Nigeria that is possible. -PO
My father, Comrade ABC Ubani JP took pictures with several governors of Anambra State including the present governor of the State, but in our family sitting room we only have enlarged pictures he took with Peter Obi, while he served as the governor of Anambra State.
I once asked him, what Peter Obi has done for him that made him practically decorate our sitting room with his pictures.
He first said, that I should snap a picture with a governor first beyond asking him that question.
He went further to say, that before Obi became governor, they (Anambra civil servants) saw hell with respect to worker's welfare, payment of pensions and gratuities. Both my parents were state civil servants, now pensioners.
My father has been a Labour union leader since 1994, so he understood the government-workers faceoff, before Peter Obi practically made life easier for workers in the state.
When he, my father who is now 74 years old retired to the village a few years ago, his portraits with Peter Obi was one of the things he took with him. He moved them from our family house in Awka to our family house in Enugwu-Ukwu, where he is now spending his last days while still serving as the State Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Anambra State, which makes him the longest serving union leader in Anambra state today.
The Comrade as I call him is a prolific writer who wrote so many bulletins against former State govenors of Anambra. When I was much younger he was arrested a few times for some of his controversial releases against governors of the State. I remember my mother, Mrs Rose Ubani searching for days to find where he and his colleagues were being held.
When Peter Obi was first removed from office, which should be around 2007 or 2008, I was about 16 years old. But I remember like it was yesterday my mother calling for us to fast and pray as a family for him to be reinstated, and we did fast - our welfare as a family dependend on that. Graciously, Obi made a comeback. Two comebacks, to the glory of God.
Therefore when you see me defending Peter Obi on this space, it is not for nothing. It is a burden I must discharge in appreciating a man who made the difference in the governance of Anambra State.
No Peter Obi slander will see the light of the day, once I'm here, and I will be here for a very long time!
When I criticise the current governor of Anambra state, is not out of hate, but for the love of Anambra. I criticised his predecessor and I know what it cost me. I do not mind paying a costlier price today.
My loyalty is not to any governor, but to my State, Anambra.
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