Business
‘I Value Our Friendship’ — BUA Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu Meets With France President Macron In Paris
a reflection of their longstanding relationship and mutual respect.
Abdul Samad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group, has shared thoughts from a meeting with France President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, describing the encounter as a reflection of their longstanding relationship and mutual respect.
Posting image from the meeting on social media on Thursday, the champion of commerce spoke warmly about the French leader.
“A pleasure to meet again with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in the City of Light. I truly value our friendship and his inspiring leadership,” he wrote.
The meeting adds to the BUA founder’s global profile following a remarkable surge in his fortune.
The billionaire industrialist recently emerged as Africa’s biggest wealth gainer in the 2026 ranking of the continent’s richest individuals after his net worth jumped by 120 percent to $11.2 billion.
The increase propelled him from sixth place to third among Africa’s wealthiest individuals, placing him behind luxury goods magnate Johann Rupert and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.
Analysts attribute much of Rabiu’s wealth surge to the strong performance of BUA Cement, his flagship publicly listed company, whose shares climbed by about 135 percent over the past year — significantly outpacing gains recorded on the Nigerian stock market amid renewed investor confidence.
The growth reflects the expanding footprint of BUA Group, which has invested heavily across key sectors including cement manufacturing, food processing, sugar refining, infrastructure, mining and energy, helping position the company among Nigeria’s leading industrial conglomerates.
Beyond business, Rabiu has also built a reputation as one of Africa’s prominent philanthropists through the ASR Africa Initiative, a major grant-making foundation supporting large-scale interventions in education, healthcare and social development across the continent.
His rise in the wealth ranking highlights the growing influence of Nigeria’s industrial sector and the increasing role of large-scale manufacturing and infrastructure investments in shaping Africa’s economic future.
