BUA Group Commits $65M to Rebuild Rivers Port Terminal Amidst Concession Dispute

In a major boost to Nigeria’s infrastructure and port operations, BUA Group has reaffirmed its commitment to national development by investing over $65 million in the reconstruction of Terminal B at the Rivers Port Complex in Port Harcourt.

According to a recent company statement, the self-funded project is on schedule for completion by Q1 2026 and will be executed by Italian engineering firm TREVI. The reconstruction was approved by the Nigerian government in 2022, following a presidential directive and legal intervention led by the Attorney General of the Federation. This came after a lengthy dispute with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which had suspended the terminal’s upgrade in 2019 under the leadership of Hadiza Bala Usman.

The NPA had cited safety concerns and decommissioned Berths 6 and 7, disrupting BUA’s operations. In response, BUA Ports and Terminals Ltd, a subsidiary of BUA Group, challenged the suspension in court, claiming the move violated its valid concession agreement. By 2020, the matter had escalated to the Presidency after BUA Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu appealed directly to then-President Muhammadu Buhari. The President instructed the NPA to withdraw its termination notice, allowing BUA to continue with the terminal’s redevelopment.

After the removal of Hadiza Bala Usman from office, the NPA formally authorized BUA to resume construction in 2022 — marking a significant victory for the company and the port sector.

Terminal B is integral to BUA’s larger $500 million industrial complex in Port Harcourt, which includes facilities for sugar, flour, and pasta production. The terminal serves as a logistics hub for raw materials and finished goods, making its upgrade crucial to sustaining operations.

BUA disclosed that the 2019 shutdown had endangered over 4,000 jobs and caused operational losses estimated at $10 million.

In its statement, BUA Group commended the current administration’s business-friendly environment, which has helped restore investor confidence and accelerate project execution. The group also revealed that it has invested over $1 billion across multiple sectors in Nigeria since 2023.

With a legacy of large-scale investments and legal resilience, BUA Group’s $65 million Terminal B reconstruction project at the Rivers Port signals a strong commitment to infrastructure development, job creation, and economic growth in Nigeria.

As the terminal nears completion in 2026, it is poised to become a vital asset for the logistics, manufacturing, and export sectors in the South-South region.