BUA chief urges Africa to focus on processing its own resources
Abdul Samad Rabiu, Founder and Executive Chairman of BUA Group, has called for Africa to shift from exporting raw materials to building large-scale industrial processing. Speaking at a major industry forum, Rabiu highlighted the need for governments, financiers, and the private sector to work together for value addition. He praised the Africa Finance Corporation for supporting industrial projects and shared BUA Group’s journey from importing cement to becoming a major local producer. Rabiu emphasized that Africa’s true opportunity lies in transforming its resources locally for greater prosperity.
TLDR
- Abdul Samad Rabiu urged African leaders to prioritize processing and value addition over raw material exports.
- He credited the Africa Finance Corporation for providing over four hundred million dollars in financing to BUA’s industrial projects.
- BUA Group now mines and processes about forty thousand tonnes of limestone daily, producing around one million tonnes of cement monthly.
- Rabiu noted that Africa exports most of its minerals and agricultural products in raw form, capturing little downstream value.
- He called for coordinated action among governments, DFIs, and the private sector to invest in local processing and infrastructure.
