BUA Group has challenged Hadiza Bala Usman over Port Concession termination and demanded legal clarity.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that BUA Group has called on Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, to publicly identify which specific clauses of the Rivers Port concession agreement were allegedly breached by the company.
This follows her defense of the termination of BUA’s agreement with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) during her tenure as Managing Director.
Background: Dispute Over Port Concession Sparks Fresh Clash
The long-running dispute between BUA Group and Hadiza Bala Usman was reignited by an article written by Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group, titled “Two Years of President Tinubu: A Business Perspective.” In the article, Rabiu alleged that the NPA abruptly terminated BUA’s concession without following due process or providing prior notice.
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In response, Usman dismissed Rabiu’s claims as “barefaced lies” and accused the company of failing to meet key contractual obligations under the 2006 port concession lease.
However, in a strongly worded statement released on May 31, 2025, BUA Group countered her accusations, accusing Usman of:
Violating court orders
Ignoring the arbitration clause in the contract
Acting with personal bias rather than due process
BUA Refutes Allegations, Demands Contractual Accountability
BUA stated that it had been in active discussions with the NPA before Usman’s appointment to address remedial infrastructure works and safety concerns at Terminal B, Rivers Port. According to BUA, the talks were nearing conclusion before Usman allegedly shut down the terminal unilaterally, using a routine letter sent under Article 8.4 of the lease as pretext for contract termination.
“Rather than build on progress, Ms. Usman ignored BUA’s obligations and used our letter as justification to terminate the agreement without prior warning or arbitration,” the statement said.
BUA also accused the NPA, under Usman’s leadership, of breaching the agreement by failing to:
Handover key sections of the port
Remove abandoned iron ore
Conduct essential dredging and quay wall repairs
Provide mandatory security at the terminal
Court Injunction and Arbitration Ignored, Says BUA
Following the alleged unlawful termination, BUA obtained a court injunction from the Federal High Court preventing further action by the NPA. The dispute was subsequently referred to arbitration, as required under Section 17.3 of the concession agreement.
Despite this, BUA claims Usman illegally decommissioned the berths, a power not granted by the agreement and even after the company fulfilled indemnity obligations, the terminal was shut down again just three weeks later.
“If she acted lawfully, we challenge her to name the clause that authorizes her actions,” BUA stated.
The company said it had contemplated contempt proceedings and calculated its losses to exceed $10 million, but later dropped the case out of respect for national interest and on the advice of senior government officials.
BUA: Buhari’s Reversal Was Based on Facts, Not Misinformation
BUA rejected Usman’s claim that former President Muhammadu Buhari was “misinformed” when he reversed her actions. Rabiu reportedly met with Buhari in 2018, after which the Attorney General of the Federation conducted a comprehensive review.
According to BUA, the review found:
The concession termination was unlawful
The decommissioning of the terminal was not legally supported
BUA’s rights under the agreement should be reinstated
President Buhari’s intervention reportedly saved over 4,000 jobs and protected BUA’s $500 million investment cluster in Rivers State.
Under Tinubu, Confidence Restored and Work Resumed
Following Usman’s exit, the NPA under new leadership reinstated BUA’s right to resume terminal operations. In 2022, BUA secured approval to restart construction, awarding the work to TREVI, and has since invested over $65 million in the terminal’s rehabilitation. Completion is expected by Q1 2026.
“All investment has been fully funded by BUA without any government subsidy,” the statement noted.
BUA: This Goes Beyond One Company—It’s About Investor Confidence
BUA emphasized that the issue transcends corporate interests. Had Usman’s actions gone unchallenged, the company argued, it would have sent a dangerous signal to investors that contracts are meaningless in Nigeria and that public officials can act without accountability.
BUA commended the Tinubu administration for restoring rule of law and investor confidence, under which the company has committed over $1 billion in new projects spanning energy, food processing, and infrastructure.
Public Office Is Not a Platform for Vendetta
BUA concluded by urging Usman to focus on her current public role under President Tinubu and to refrain from rewriting history. The company reiterated that her actions during her tenure as NPA boss were unauthorized, unlawful, and costly.
“If Ms. Usman believes she acted within the law, let her name the clauses that support her decisions. Otherwise, let the facts speak for themselves.”
