By Ayo Kehinde
Nigeria has taken a decisive step toward expanding its footprint in global trade as BUA Group sealed a strategic logistics and industrial partnership with UAE-based AD Ports Group and MAIR Group.
The strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Abu Dhabi, focuses on collaboration in sugar refining, agro-industrial development and integrated global logistics solutions.
As part of the agreement, sugar refining capacity and advanced logistics infrastructure will be developed in the United Arab Emirates, aimed at boosting value addition, strengthening supply-chain resilience and deepening structured trade flows between West Africa and the Gulf region.
Noting that the move underscores Nigeria’s ambition to become a competitive international trading and industrial hub, President Bola Tinubu described the agreement as a major industrial and trade breakthrough flowing from renewed Nigeria–UAE engagement under his administration, following recent state visits and high-level interactions that prioritised trade, investment, infrastructure and food security.
According to the President, the partnership reflects growing international confidence in Nigeria’s reform agenda and reinforces the administration’s commitment to export-led industrialisation. He added that Nigerian companies are increasingly demonstrating the capacity to compete globally and form strategic alliances with leading international partners.
“Strategic diplomacy must translate into measurable economic gains. This partnership reflects the renewed momentum in Nigeria–UAE relations and our determination to position Nigeria as a competitive industrial and trading nation, while empowering Nigerian businesses to operate confidently on the global stage”, he said.
The President further noted that BUA Group’s extensive industrial base in Nigeria, including integrated food processing operations and investments in port infrastructure upgrades, provides a strong foundation for expanded international trade integration.
He also commended the Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, for his sustained investments across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy, describing them as evidence that Nigerian enterprises can operate effectively on the global stage.
President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening bilateral economic partnerships that attract investment, expand exports, strengthen Nigerian enterprise and deliver sustainable prosperity for the country.
