BUA Group Commits $65M to Rivers Port Terminal B Upgrade

BUA Group has announced a $65 million investment for the reconstruction of Terminal B at the Rivers Port Complex. The project, which is fully self-funded, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

The company confirmed that no public funds or government subsidies are involved in the rehabilitation. The contract was awarded to Italian engineering firm TREVI, following formal approval granted in 2022 under the new leadership of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The reconstruction comes after a long-standing dispute that began in June 2019, when the NPA—led by Hadiza Bala Usman—declared berths 6 and 7 unsafe and directed BUA to halt operations. BUA challenged the directive, citing a valid concession agreement and a subsisting court injunction. The company alleged that despite ongoing legal proceedings, the Hadiza-led NPA proceeded with decommissioning the facility, a move that violated due process and undermined investor confidence.

Intervention by BUA Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu with then-President Muhammadu Buhari led to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), referencing a presidential directive instructing the NPA to reverse the decommissioning and reopen the terminal.

BUA emphasized that Terminal B is critical to its $500 million industrial complex in Port Harcourt, which includes flour, pasta, and sugar production facilities. The disruption risked over 4,000 jobs and led to estimated losses exceeding $10 million.