The management of BUA Group has called on Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, to specify the exact clauses of the port concession agreement allegedly violated by the company—an allegation that formed the basis of her decision to terminate the agreement with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
In response to Ms. Usman’s recent statements defending her decision to revoke the concession, BUA criticized her for disregarding existing court judgments and the arbitration process initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The group stated that President Tinubu has since reinforced a culture of due process—something they argue was absent during Ms. Usman’s tenure as NPA Managing Director.
BUA accused Ms. Usman of acting with bias, alleging that the concession was terminated to benefit a business associate of hers who is a direct competitor of BUA. They emphasized that courts had overturned the termination and that a legal review panel, set up by President Buhari, had also concluded that her actions were improper.
The group further highlighted that the new NPA leadership reversed Ms. Usman’s decisions to uphold the integrity of the contract.
BUA stated:
> “We have taken note of recent public statements made by Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), who was sacked from office. In her comments, she accused BUA Group and our Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, of breaching a concession agreement and distorting facts…”
According to BUA, their lease agreement with the NPA for Terminal B at Rivers Port began in 2006, and discussions to address infrastructure issues were already underway before Ms. Usman assumed office. The group claimed that rather than continuing these discussions, she used a procedural letter about environmental and safety concerns as justification to terminate the agreement and shut down the terminal without prior warning or recourse to the dispute resolution clause.
BUA pointed out that Ms. Usman also failed to disclose the NPA’s own contractual breaches—such as not handing over critical port areas, failing to dredge or repair quay walls, and neglecting security obligations—which hindered the group’s operations.
> “After the unlawful termination, BUA approached the Federal High Court, which promptly granted an injunction restraining the NPA from proceeding with termination…”
Despite the injunction and the arbitration process laid out in the agreement, BUA alleges that Ms. Usman proceeded to decommission the berths unilaterally—an action they say was both unauthorized and illegal. They invited her to publicly cite any contractual clause that gave her such authority.
> “To further compound the illegality, BUA—after providing the guarantees and indemnities requested by the NPA—was permitted to resume operations briefly…”
BUA claims it incurred losses exceeding $10 million and even initiated contempt proceedings, which were later withdrawn in the national interest after interventions by prominent individuals.
In response to Ms. Usman’s suggestion that President Buhari was misinformed when he reversed her decisions, BUA called the claim “false, disrespectful, and disingenuous.” They described how their Chairman met with President Buhari in 2018, leading to a thorough review by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). BUA said Ms. Usman failed to attend any of the meetings despite being invited.
> “Following a meeting that our Chairman had the privilege of holding with President Buhari in 2018, he presented the matter to the President…”
According to BUA, the AGF’s legal review concluded that the termination and decommissioning were unlawful. President Buhari’s directive to reverse her actions reportedly saved thousands of jobs and protected a $500 million investment in an industrial cluster reliant on port access.
> “As our Chairman said in his interview, imagine if he wasn’t privileged to have access…”
Following Ms. Usman’s removal, BUA said the new NPA leadership acted in line with the AGF’s recommendations. They resumed reconstruction works in 2022, awarding the contract to TREVI and investing over $65 million of their own funds, with no government assistance. Completion is expected in the first quarter of 2026.
> “Following Ms. Usman’s removal from office, the NPA, under new leadership, implemented the AGF’s position…”
BUA stressed that the case highlights broader concerns about investor confidence and the rule of law in Nigeria. They warned that if actions like Ms. Usman’s go unchecked, it could damage Nigeria’s reputation as a business destination.
> “We must state clearly that this matter goes beyond BUA…”
The group concluded by reiterating that while Ms. Usman is entitled to her opinions, she is not entitled to distort facts. They urged her to focus on her current responsibilities rather than revisiting past controversies and emphasized the need for public officeholders to act with integrity.
> “We wish to emphasise that Ms. Usman is entitled to her opinions, irrespective of how distorted they may be…”
Once again challenging Ms. Usman to provide legal justification for her actions, BUA stated:
> “If Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman believes she acted lawfully, we challenge her to cite the specific clause or clauses that guided her unlawful actions if not let the facts remain where they belong; in the public record.”
