For Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu CFR, owning multiple jets is not a luxury; it is a necessity. A man who closes deals across different parts of the world, operating in cement, foods, ports and energy businesses across Nigeria while expanding aggressively into the Gulf, Europe and other African markets, needs to move freely, comfortably and luxuriously to make business easier. Like the vintage Samad, he loves vintage cars, a super-homely yacht and owns homes in exclusive areas around the world. He pampers himself as hard as he works. These are not indulgences but requirements for a man rated by Forbes 2026 with a net worth of $11.2 billion, ranking as the second richest man in Nigeria and Africa by extension.
Over the week, Rabiu announced the delivery of a “wonder on air” the Bombardier Global 8000, estimated to be worth $81 million (₦110 billion) and adjudged the world’s fastest business jet. The acquisition process began when he signed the purchase agreement with Bombardier executives on December 4, 2025, at BUA’s Dubai office. At the time, he described the acquisition as both a practical business tool and a reflection of the group’s ambitions. The new jet joins BUA Group’s existing corporate fleet, which consists of a Challenger 350 and a Global 6500, giving the Nigerian conglomerate one of the most modern private aviation lineups of any African business group.
This newly acquired wonder on air is the fastest purpose-built business jet in the world, a designation Bombardier reclaimed for civil aviation after the Concorde’s retirement in 2003. The aircraft tops out at Mach 0.95, approximately 627 miles per hour and carries a range of 8,000 nautical miles, enabling non-stop flights from Lagos to New York or Dubai to Houston on a single fuel load. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce-designed engines and certified by Transport Canada, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Bombardier delivered the first Global 8000 to fleet launch customer NetJets on March 26, 2026, at its Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.
Rabiu’s delivery, completing an order placed just six months earlier, positions him among the earliest individual owners of an aircraft type now entering service among the world’s most discerning corporate aviation buyers. The acquisition reflects the scale of BUA Group’s global operational footprint and Rabiu’s own intensifying international travel schedule. The Global 8000’s ultra-long-range capability eliminates the need for fuel stops on the intercontinental routes that BUA’s business now demands with increasing frequency.
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