BUA commits $85m to Port Harcourt terminal expansion as NPA projects double-digit growth

Orisemeke Benjamin

In a major boost to Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure and industrial capacity, BUA Group has announced an $85 million investment to expand its BUA Ports and Terminals facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The multi-million-dollar project is designed to position the terminal to handle over two million tonnes of imported raw materials annually, directly supporting the rapid nationwide expansion of BUA Foods.

Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, disclosed the details during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, at the authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

Speaking during the visit, Rabiu noted that the expansion works have advanced significantly and emphasized the necessity of solid port infrastructure to back the country’s industrial ambitions.

“We’re here to, first of all, thank the MD and his team for the support we’re getting, and also to brief NPA and the management on the progress we’re making as regards the expansion of our BUA Ports and Terminals in Port Harcourt,” Rabiu said.

“BUA Foods is operating in Port Harcourt, and BUA Foods is expanding, and by the time we are done with the expansion, inshallah, next year, we’ll be having almost over two million tonnes of products being imported as raw materials… and for that we need a terminal, we need a facility.”

Clarifying the scope of the maritime project, Rabiu added:

“The ports expansion is about $85 million in total, and that is going to give us about 600 metres of seaside.”

Highlighting Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit relative to its economic size, Rabiu stressed that modern ports are vital for economic development. He also reflected on the terminal’s history, recalling that the acquisition rights were once threatened with revocation before the current NPA administration provided a supportive environment.

“I remember that at a point even that terminal acquisition was revoked, but look at us, we are now here, and we’re getting all the support that we need from the management,” he acknowledged, commending President Bola Tinubu for appointing the present leadership.

Responding, NPA Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho projected double-digit growth in cargo throughput and revenue from the investment, describing BUA’s commitment as a game-changer for eastern ports.

“He’s a major stakeholder for many years… Now he’s investing a lot in Port Harcourt. So in that way, our volumes will increase, which means that even if we are talking about exporting, we are exporting more. If we are talking about importing, we can import more. And by so doing, now we are going to make more value,” Dantsoho said.

Estimating the potential impact on port performance, Dantsoho projected a 13 to 14 per cent increase in activity, noting that recent global recognitions by S&P and the World Bank—which listed Tin Can and Apapa among the top 20 most improved ports worldwide—reflect the power of public-private collaboration.

“We can’t be doing that as NPA alone,” Dantsoho stated. “We know that we have to come to them. They know that they have to come to us. This is something that must happen for us to make any progress.”

Upon completion, the expanded 600-metre quay frontage will drastically enhance cargo-handling capacity in Port Harcourt, bolstering BUA’s supply chain across its food, cement, mining, and infrastructure operations.