Abdul Samad Rabiu, founder of BUA Group, one of Africa’s largest diversified conglomerates, has been conferred with the 2019/20 National Productivity Order of Merit Award (NPOM) presented by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
Speaking after the award ceremony, Rabiu expressed his sincere appreciation to the awards jury and the Nigerian president for considering him for the honour.
The billionaire industrialist and philanthropist also reaffirmed BUA Group’s commitment to human, economic and social development, whilst fostering productive enterprise in Nigeria.
The NPOM Award, established in 1991 during the Ibrahim Babangida military administration, is organised by the National Productivity Centre as an arm of the federal government instituted to recognise and honour productive individuals and organisations in Nigeria. The centre was also created to improve the quantity and quality of goods and services available for consumption in Nigeria as a means for increasing wealth.
This year, 49 people were granted the awards in various categories with four of them, Allen Onyema, chief executive officer (CEO) of Air Peace; Mike Adenuga, CEO, Globacom; Jim Ovia, founder, Zenith Bank; and Chinedum Anthony Okereke, managing director, The La Casera Company, joining Rabiu in the “Employers of Labour” category.
Other honorees include Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the government of the federation; Chike Ihekweazu, former director general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); Akin Abayomi, Lagos State commissioner for health; Stanley Okolo, director-general of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), amongst others.
