BUA Group has honoured hundreds of its workers with what is now one of the largest private sector employee reward initiatives in the country, after disbursing ₦30 billion to 510 employees at the 2025 Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards, Okay News reports.
The event, held to celebrate long service, loyalty, and exceptional performance, recognised employees who have worked with the company for periods ranging from five years to over forty years.
It also underscored a guiding principle of the Group: enduring institutions are built by people.
Speaking at the ceremony, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Founder and Executive Chairman of BUA Group, reflected on the company’s journey and the individuals who shaped it.
He noted that from modest beginnings 36 years ago, BUA has transformed into one of Nigeria’s most valuable listed groups, with a market capitalisation running into trillions of naira.
Rabiu stressed that the organisation’s progress has never been driven by one individual.
According to him, “every factory built, every system strengthened, every challenge overcome, and every milestone reached carries the imprint of employees who believed in the vision long before the results were visible.”
He added that BUA’s culture has been built on recognising its workforce as partners in a shared legacy rather than ordinary staff.
As part of the 2025 awards, ₦30 billion was allocated across various long service and excellence categories. Due to time constraints, only 41 recipients received their awards physically during the ceremony.
These represented the highest award bands, ranging from ₦100 million to ₦1 billion.
The on stage recipients included sixteen employees who received ₦100 million each, nine who received ₦200 million, seven who received ₦250 million, three who received ₦500 million, and five who received ₦1 billion.
There was also one special award presented to Kabiru Rabiu in recognition of his loyalty and long standing contribution. The amount for this award was not disclosed.
All remaining awardees had already received their plaques and cheques or will collect theirs at various operational locations.
Rabiu described the cash rewards as a gesture of gratitude, noting that no amount of money can truly compensate for decades of commitment and personal sacrifice.
Looking ahead, he said BUA Group will continue expanding capacity, investing in new technologies, and strengthening its presence across cement, foods, sugar, and infrastructure. He assured that the workforce who built the Group will continue to grow with it.
The Night of Excellence, Okay News reports, has become a central part of BUA’s organisational culture, emphasising shared prosperity, long term thinking, and respect for people.
Distinguished guests at the event included Aliko Dangote, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Minister of Finance (State) Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, and Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa.
