BUA signs deal with French firm, Axens, on A’Ibom refinery

BUA Group has sealed a pact with a French company, Axens, on the proposed 200,000 barrels per day refinery to be constructed by BUA in Akwa Ibom State.

This came with the appointment of the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, as head of the France Nigeria Investment Club.

French President, Emmanuel Macron, has commended Rabiu for his commitment to developing lasting relationships between French and Nigerian businesses.

The signing of the BUA-Axen agreement was witnessed by the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Franck Riester, during his visit to the BUA Group head office in Lagos where he handed over a personal invitation from President Macron to Rabiu to attend the Choose France Summit in June in Paris, representing business leaders from Nigeria and Africa.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Chairman of BUA Group, Rabiu, thanked the minister and President Macron for their unwavering support in bringing BUA and French businesses together. He added that so far, BUA had initiated partnerships and developed personal relationships with a few French businesses, including Axens whilst expressing confidence in the quality of expertise and technical know-how of the French companies BUA has partnered with.

President of Axens, Jean Sentenac, said that he was pleased that the project is advancing on schedule.

He also praised the very good cooperation between all the involved parties and reiterated the commitment of Axens to delivering the BUA Refinery Project on time and with the highest standards.

Represented by Franck Riester, the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Marcon invited Abdul Samad to the “Choose France Summit” and said the French Government is ever ready to support people-oriented and developmental projects in Nigeria. “I am very pleased to see how committed Abdul Samad Rabiu is for the refinery and in the space of philanthropy,” Macron said.

He added, “I want to stress how keen you were in promoting the interest of Nigeria and its people during our meeting in Paris and how committed you were to make the economy stronger and more resilient. I want to congratulate you for the vision and ambition you demonstrate in many sectors in your will to build projects shaping the future of Nigeria.”