Billionaire industrialist and philanthropist Abdul Samad Rabiu, Executive Chairman of BUA Group, has received the Edge Industrial Leadership Icon of the Year award at the Edge Awards 2026, organised by MarketingEdge. The award recognises BUA’s growth under his leadership into one of Africa’s leading industrial groups, with investments in foods, cement, ports and terminals, construction materials and other critical sectors.
BUA Group also won the Edge Outstanding Industrial Brand of the Year award for its work in indigenous industrialisation and brand building and its contribution to Nigeria’s economic development.
Group Chief Operating Officer Chimaobi Madukwe received the awards on behalf of the Executive Chairman. “Our Executive Chairman believes in local production and in building businesses for the long term, and that belief has shaped BUA’s journey,” he said.
“For us, these recognitions affirm a journey defined by long-term investment, industrial expansion and an enduring confidence in Nigeria. They also remind us of our responsibility to keep building, creating jobs, expanding local capacity and delivering value at scale.”
Madukwe thanked the organisers and credited the wider BUA family, whose dedication made the recognition possible.
BUA Foods and BUA Cement, two of the Group’s listed subsidiaries, have a combined market value of nearly ₦24 trillion on the Nigerian Exchange.
Held annually, the Edge Awards honour Nigerian companies and brands in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, along with the advertising, brand management and public relations agencies that help build them.
