BUA Group Invests $65m in Rivers Port Terminal Upgrade
BUA Group has announced a substantial private investment exceeding $65 million for the complete reconstruction of Terminal B at the Rivers Port Complex, with project completion scheduled for early 2026.
The conglomerate disclosed this information in a statement released Sunday, addressing recent allegations by Hadiza Bala Usman, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), who claimed BUA violated the terms of its concession agreement.
BUA emphasized that the reconstruction project commenced following official authorization received in 2022, after the NPA’s new management acted on directives from Nigeria’s Attorney General.
Italian engineering company TREVI secured the rehabilitation contract, with BUA fully financing the project through private capital, without any government assistance or public funding.
“Following Ms. Usman’s removal from office, the NPA, under new leadership, implemented the Attorney General’s directive. In 2022, BUA was granted formal approval to resume reconstruction works. The contract was awarded to TREVI, and BUA has since invested over $65 million—entirely self-funded and without recourse to public funds or subsidies. Work is ongoing, and completion is expected in the first quarter of 2026,” the statement read in part.
The controversy dates back to June 2019, when the NPA under Usman’s leadership declared berths 6 and 7 of Terminal B structurally unsafe and ordered BUA to cease operations. BUA Ports and Terminals Ltd contested the decision, citing a valid concession agreement and a standing court injunction protecting its operational rights.
BUA contends that despite ongoing legal proceedings, the Usman-led NPA proceeded with decommissioning the facility—an action the company described as a procedural violation that undermined investor confidence.
The dispute escalated in early 2020 when BUA Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu appealed directly to then-President Muhammadu Buhari, resulting in the matter being referred to Attorney General Abubakar Malami.
In a letter dated June 1, 2020, Malami cited presidential instructions for the NPA to withdraw its termination notice, reverse the decommissioning decision, and restore terminal operations. He also urged both parties to abandon arbitration and pursue an amicable resolution.
Following Usman’s departure from the NPA in 2021, the authority implemented the Attorney General’s directive. By 2022, BUA received formal approval to resume reconstruction of Terminal B.
The company underscored the terminal’s strategic importance to its $500 million Port Harcourt industrial complex, which includes flour, pasta, and sugar production facilities. BUA estimated that the operational disruptions endangered over 4,000 jobs and caused losses exceeding $10 million, figures documented in legal filings before the company withdrew contempt proceedings to align with national development priorities.
Since the dispute’s resolution, BUA reports committing over $1 billion in additional investments across various sectors, attributing this expansion to improved business confidence under Nigeria’s current administration.
The Terminal B reconstruction represents a major infrastructure project aimed at boosting port capacity and supporting BUA’s manufacturing operations in Rivers State, demonstrating the private sector’s commitment to Nigeria’s economic development through self-funded initiatives.
