The Chairman/CEO, BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, said the conglomerate settled for AXENS Powering Integrated Solutions, a French firm to build its refinery because “they are one of the best companies that we all know”.
Rabiu, who spoke at the BUA Refinery contract signing ceremony at BUA headquarters in Lagos, said although there were other companies, Axens got the job because of trust.
“We are really very pleased that we trust Axens. They are one of the best companies that we all know.They’ve been doing this for many years. We signed the agreement for the design and technology last year and today (yesterday), we’ve reviewed and signed the statement of acknowledgement. We are making good progress.”
He added that AXENS, KBR and “ourselves have been working together for some time and this is what we signed today. It is encouraging, we are breaking grounds fully soon”.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, praised Rabiu for his commitment to developing lasting relationships between French and Nigerian businesses.
The French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Franck Riester, who witnessed the ceremony between BUA Group and Axens of France for the 200,000 barrels daily refinery in Akwa Ibom State, announced that the Chairman of BUA Group has been appointed Chairman of the France Nigeria Investment Club.
He handed over an invitation from President Macron to Rabiu to attend the ‘Choose France Summit’ in June in Paris representing business leaders from Nigeria and Africa, saying the agreement signing event, was a good one for France and “it’s a good symbol of what we want to do, what President Macron wants to do. We want to increase the relationship between our two countries; Nigeria and France,” Rabiu said the partnership between BUA and AXENS “is a good symbol of that, an excellent symbol of that. It is a symbol as well of the commitment of Axens chairman, culminating in more partnerships, strengthening and deepening partnerships between French companies and Nigerian companies and it’s a wonderful project.”
President of Axens, Jean Sentenac, said he was pleased that the project is advancing on schedule and praised the cooperation between the 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, Macron invited Rabiu to the summit and said the French Government was ready to support people-oriented and developmental projects in in the country.
“I am very pleased to see how committed Abdul Samad Rabiu is for the refinery and in the space of philanthropy.”
“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. We think that we have to support long-term investment of French companies in Nigeria and Nigeria companies in France and this project of refinery is a wonderful project for Nigeria,” Macron said.
Earlier, Rabiu, who stated that Nigeria imports most of its crude oil consumed daily, noted that BUA Refinery when operational will reduce the huge cost transporting crude oil offshore, refining it, and bringing it back into the country.
Rabiu added that the decision to site the refinery in Akwa Ibom – Southern Nigeria – was strategic due to huge availability of raw materials and its proximity to export petroleum products to regional countries.
Riester was accompanied by a high-powered delegation of Jerome Pasquier, Ambassador of France in Nigeria; Mrs Laurence Monmayrant, Consul-General of France in Lagos; Quentin Teisseire, Chief of Staff, Alexis du Boisberranger, Technical advisor for export and strategic partnership; Ms Benedicte Constans, Advisor to the Minister, in Charge of Communication; Pascal Furth, Regional Economic Counsellor, French Embassy, among others.
