Friday, October 20, 2017 08:50 AM / BUA Release
Kabiru
Rabiu, Group Executive Director of Nigeria’s leading conglomerate, BUA Group,
has been ranked second, only after Egyptian, Basil El Baz, on the ‘Choiseul 100
Africa’ list of future African Business Leaders by Institut Choiseul – a
renowned French economic and political think-tank based in Paris in partnership
with a leading publication, Jeune Afrique. The 2017 rankings, which boasts of
only 10 Nigerians, has Kabiru Rabiu as the only Nigerian in the top 10.
The
annual compilation by the French Institute is carried out through an original
independent study that identifies profiles and ranks young African business
leaders under the age of 40 from any of the 54 countries on the continent
across various industries who will play a major role in the development of
Africa in the near future. To classify the 100 leaders of tomorrow, the
Choiseul Institute, through its panel of experts and specialists uses five sets
of criteria: image and reputation, path and skills, power and function,
influence and networks, potential and leadership. These ‘Choiseul 100 Africa’
laureates are growing business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, investors, etc.,
who embody the dynamism and renewal of a whole continent and carry the hopes of
an entire generation.
Other
Nigerians on the 2017 list include Akinwunmi Akinfemiwa, Group Chief
Executive Officer of Forte Oil at number 34 and Halima Dangote, daughter
of the African richest man, Aliko Dangote and Executive Director of the Dangote
Industries at 47th position.
An
astute but amiable strategist, Kabiru Rabiu joined the family business in 2002
upon the completion of his studies as an Assistant General Manager of Nigerian
Oil Mills based in Kano, Nigeria. He rose through the ranks to become the
company’s General Manager and later became the Managing Director of BUA Oil
Mills, Lagos - then the largest edible oil company in Nigeria.
In
2010, Kabiru came into the helms of affairs at BUA Group as Group Executive
Director with the responsibility for overseeing strategy, operations and
growth. Of recent, he executed the divestment of BUA’s import dependent wheat
milling assets to Olam International in a $275m deal in line with the Group’s
strategy of deepening local production of foods. In addition, he is currently
driving the Group’s $550 million sugar expansions and building Africa’s largest
Textile and Garment Park in Katsina State in a $500m investment aimed at
revitalizing Nigeria’s $4 billion textile and garment productions, among other
investments. This is in addition to BUA’s multi million Naira investment in the
rice sector which has led to an innovative interest-free rice outgrowers’
scheme involving the provision of improved seeds, technical expertise as well
as the BUA’s milling and processing infrastructure that will drive the group’s
current processing capacity from 200,000 tonnes to 1million tonnes within the
next four years.
Founded
in 1988 by his brother and billionaire industrialist, Abdulsamad Rabiu, BUA
Group is one of the largest conglomerates operating in Africa. The over
$5 billion enterprise valued Group engages in the foods and infrastructure
spaces in Africa with interests in sugar, rice, cement, port operations,
logistics, real estate, steel and oil & gas. Recently, during the
commissioning of its $1 billion Obu Cement plant by Nigeria’s Vice President,
Prof. Yemi Osibanjo in August this year, BUA Group explained its expansion
plans in the Nigerian cement sector leading to the commissioning of two new
lines with a combined capacity 4.5 million metric tonnes by next year that will
significantly boost Nigeria’s cement export potential.
In
addition, BUA, through its rice subsidiary, launched an outgrower scheme for
rice farmersthat will involve the provision of improved seeds, technical
expertise as well as the BUA’s milling and processing infrastructure that will
drive the group’s current processing capacity from 200,000 tonnes to 1million tonnes
within the next four years.
Kabiru
undertook his studies at the Webster University USA, American Intercontinental
University, Harvard Business School, London School of Economics & Political
Science, among others and has seen his profile rise considerably in recent
years as one of Nigeria’s youngest and brightest business minds.
Also,
in the 2017 Jeune Afrique publication, Nigeria emerged as the country with the
highest number of young economic leaders, numbering 10 followed closely by
Morocco and South Africa. The unique study draws up an inventory of the African
economic forces from various business sectors such as technology, oil and gas, manufacturing,
agriculture, etc. The total score obtained in the different categories of
criteria determines the position of each laureate in the final ranking.
Profiles with less than 10% in any of the categories are eliminated.
Related News
Signup with Facebook
Signup with Twitter
