BUA Group Tells How Ex-NPA Managing Director Hadiza Usman Flouted Contractual Obligations, Defied Court Orders

Leading Nigerian conglomerate, BUA Group, has released a detailed statement accusing former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, of breaching contractual obligations, defying court orders, and disregarding arbitration processes during her tenure.

In a statement signed by BUA Group on May 31, the company addressed recent comments made by Ms. Usman alleging that BUA and its Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, breached concession agreements and distorted facts.

According to BUA, these allegations arose from an interview and article by Rabiu celebrating Nigeria’s ongoing business reforms under President Bola Tinubu.

The statement clarified that BUA entered into a valid long lease agreement with the NPA in 2006 to rehabilitate and operate Terminal B at Rivers Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

BUA said discussions were already underway to address infrastructure challenges before Ms. Usman assumed office.

However, the conglomerate alleged that instead of building on these engagements, Ms. Usman ignored BUA’s contractual rights and obligations. In 2016, BUA wrote to the NPA as required under Article 8.4 of the lease agreement, highlighting environmental and safety concerns and requesting approval for remedial works. Rather than addressing these concerns, BUA claims Usman used the letter as a pretext to issue a termination notice and shut down the terminal—without warning, consultation, or recourse to the contract’s dispute resolution clause.

“She forgot or failed to disclose in her response that the NPA, under her leadership, was itself in material breach of core obligations,” BUA said, highlighting failures such as “leaving derelict iron ore on the berths, failing to dredge or repair quay walls, and neglecting to provide mandatory security.”

Following the disputed termination, BUA obtained a court injunction halting the process. Despite this, the NPA, led by Usman, allegedly proceeded to decommission the berths, violating both the agreement and the court’s order. “To be clear, the concession agreement granted her no such power to decommission,” BUA stated. “If she believes otherwise, we invite her to publicly cite the specific clause that authorizes this action.”

BUA also highlighted that after providing required guarantees and indemnities, it was briefly allowed to resume operations—only for Usman to order another shutdown within weeks.

The company characterized these actions as stemming from personal animosity and an abuse of office, resulting in estimated losses exceeding $10 million.

The statement further recounted that former President Muhammadu Buhari was briefed on the dispute in 2018, after which he directed the Attorney General of the Federation to review the matter. “The legal advice (attached herewith) found that the termination was unlawful, the decommissioning was without any legal basis, and that BUA’s rights should be reinstated,” BUA emphasized.

Following Ms. Usman’s removal from office, BUA said the NPA under new leadership implemented the Attorney General’s recommendations, granting BUA approval to resume reconstruction works at the terminal in 2022. “BUA has since invested over $65 million—entirely self-funded and with no recourse to public funds or subsidies,” the statement added, noting that work is expected to be completed by early 2026.

The statement concluded by warning that Ms. Usman’s actions, had they been allowed to stand, would have sent a disastrous signal that contracts and court orders in Nigeria were worthless, undermining investor confidence. “We must never return to that era,” BUA said.

BUA reiterated its position that Ms. Usman is entitled to her opinions but not to distort the facts. “If Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman believes she acted lawfully, we challenge her to cite the specific clause or clauses that guided her unlawful actions,” the statement concluded.