Abdul Samad Rabiu acquires new Bombardier Global 8000 business jet

The BUA Group chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, has finalised a deal to purchase Bombardier’s top-tier Global 8000 business jet.

Sources within the company confirmed that Rabiu signed the purchase agreement with Bombardier officials at BUA’s office in Dubai on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

The aircraft will complement the group’s existing Challenger 350 and Global 6500 jets, placing BUA among the Nigerian companies with the most advanced corporate aviation assets.

The Global 8000, one of the world’s leading ultra-long-range jets, is capable of flying non-stop from Lagos to New York or Dubai to Houston — distances that align seamlessly with BUA’s expanding operations across Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

For Rabiu, whose business portfolio spans cement, foods, ports and energy, the new jet doubles as a strategic asset for international expansion and a symbol of the group’s rising global stature.

BUA Group set to build feed mill in Kano

BUA Group has been on an aggressive growth trajectory in recent years. The conglomerate is investing over $65 million in the reconstruction of Terminal B at the Rivers Port Complex in Port Harcourt, a move designed to cement its long-term presence in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

The company is also advancing a major integrated refinery project in Akwa Ibom State, scheduled for completion in 2025, with a dedicated gas-fired power plant planned to support operations.

On the cement front, BUA has expanded capacity in its Sokoto and Edo plants while recording strong double-digit revenue and profit growth.

This performance has been aided by Rabiu’s push for lower cement prices — a strategy that has sparked debate but gained public approval.

The company also recently secured a $200 million corporate finance facility from the Africa Finance Corporation and Afreximbank, further strengthening its financial capacity for new investments.

The Star