Kigali, Rwanda — Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, founder and chairman of BUA Group, has revealed a personal encounter with what he described as uneven immigration treatment in South Africa, where his expired visa led to denial of entry while European travellers were allowed in without visas.
Rabiu shared the experience on Thursday during his presentation titled ‘Africa at scale: Capital, policy, and the architecture of growth’ at the Africa CEO Forum 2026, taking place in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to Rabiu, the incident occurred in February 2025 when he flew from Lagos to Cape Town to attend the Mining Indaba conference. Upon arrival at immigration, officials discovered his visa had expired just one day earlier. Despite his explanation, he was turned back.
“I had a personal experience… As we arrived, we went to the immigration. I tendered my passport, and the immigration officer looked at it and was like, where is your visa,” Rabiu recounted. He noted that his crew had overlooked the expiration date.
He contrasted this with the treatment of Europeans, who he said were permitted entry without requiring visas, underscoring what many see as disparities in how African nationals are treated across the continent compared to visitors from outside Africa.
Rabiu, one of Nigeria’s most prominent industrialists with interests in cement, sugar, and food processing, used the anecdote to illustrate broader challenges facing African business leaders and the need for better policies to facilitate intra-African trade and movement. His comments come amid ongoing discussions on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and efforts to ease travel restrictions for Africans within the continent.
The Africa CEO Forum, one of the continent’s largest annual private sector gatherings, brought together over 2,500 decision-makers, investors, and policymakers in Kigali under the theme of scaling African businesses.
Rabiu’s revelation has sparked conversations online about reciprocity in African immigration policies and the irony of barriers hindering continental integration and economic growth. BUA Group, under his leadership, continues to expand as a major player in Nigeria’s industrial landscape.
