Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, welcome. May we please have your attention as we take you through a quick health and safety briefing to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable evening. Now, let's begin with our exit and emergency routes. Please take note of the emergency exit and assembly points located throughout the venue. In the unlikely event of an emergency, please follow the exit instructions and evacuate the building as guided by the security and safety personnel to a mustering point. There are service facilities within the premises. Please inform any of the ushers should you need access. Ensure to wash your hands and sanitize properly after using the convenience. Now, here are some precautionary measures to take as approved by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control, NCDC: Number one, practice good hygiene, including regular hand washing. And number two, avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of an infectious disease or feeling unwell. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing. On behalf of the entire team and family, we welcome you once again.
When we started, we started with nothing.
I think we are one of the first distributors that started with BUA Cement PLC.
I became a partner of BUA Cement in 2024. My customers love BUA Cement because of the strength, especially the block molders. So they love it because it makes their blocks stronger.
This is one of my big customers. So it's here that I supply him BUA that is used to produce all these blocks. Everybody buying BUA is because of strength. No matter what amount they are selling it, it makes a difference for itself. BUA is the number one product in the market today in terms of acceptance by the end users, by the retailers. It is the king of cement.
BUA Cement will never ever compromise their quality.
I sell BUA Cement in Northeast, North Central, and Northwest. Even though it was the North, the language had never been a barrier because there were people from the company who helped to translate to us and to the customers.
During the importation time, zero trucks—we didn't have even one.
I did not start with any trucks from the beginning. I started using third-party trucks.
Even though we had no trucks, the company supplied us.
We cover everywhere. We are getting demand from Kano, from Jos, from Abuja. You know, we are getting demand everywhere.
I have a warehouse in Nnewi, Anambra State, where I distribute BUA products, and the product speaks for itself. I used to buy BUA Cement and sell almost 5 to 6 years before I got the dealership from—
When we bought our first truck was, I think that was 2012.
Between that period from September and December 2024, I bought and I sold almost 900,000 bags of cement.
And in the same 2024, I was able to become among the top 20 dealers of BUA Cement in that very year, while in the year 2025, I was able to sell 5,210,800 bags of cement, to show you that I did three times of what I did in 2024.
I sold almost three times, 2.4 to 2.5 million bags of cement.
At the moment, I have 60 to 70 trucks.
I have about 80-something trucks, and last year about 70-something. So we are growing.
We keep on adding more.
Adding more. Now we have like five trucks of our own.
In 2025, it grew to 17%.
I started from nobody, and now I'm somebody. BUA Cement is the king of cement.
I want to take BUA Cement around Nigeria. I want it to be number one in all cement. I would like to thank the leadership of BUA Cement for their support over the years. I can say production of billionaires and millionaires of our time.
He has raised billionaires in our time.
I sincerely thank the management team of BUA.
If you give somebody a fish, the person will feed just for a day. But I'll say that he has taught us how to fish, and we have remained fishermen of our time.
Are you ready to sing with us tonight? Some of your favorite songs. If you can just put your hands together like this, we are grateful for you. Come on. Come on. Come on. One more time. One more time. One more time. Yeah. Come on.
Are you grateful for life? Listen. Listen to my—listen to your children.
What did you say? Yeah.
And I'm the one I can see. I'm the one person—tell me it's not too late.
Put your hands together. Put your hands together. Put your hands together. Put your hands together.
Say I can just love you baby. I can return this one. Yeah, we have the privilege of having one of these legends live in the house with us in Lagos today. Please welcome with me, Mr. B.
If you see me, I am giving to my— If you see me, don't be surprised. That is my brother. If you see me born in Africa, I am talking to my ancestors. If you see me breaking in Africa, don't be surprised. Don't be surprised. There is a way.
1974, I took my country. I love again. I love. 1974, I traveled to my country. I love again. I love again. Africa.
The Chairman, our Board of Directors, distinguished management team, respected industry peers, and most importantly, the backbone of our commercial success, our dealers and distributors that are gathered here tonight: Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to all of you. When I look around this room, I do not just see business partners. I see entrepreneurs. I see risk-takers. I see the direct link between our factory gates and the dreams of every Nigerian homeowner, contractor, and developer. Tonight is not just about celebrating sales volumes. Tonight is about celebrating resilience, partnership, and success.
Let us be honest with ourselves. The past 12 months have not been easy. We have navigated challenging times. But you, our dealers, did not buckle. You adapted. You found ways to keep your trucks rolling. You maintained stock. Because of that grit, we have not just survived; we have consolidated our leadership. At BUA Cement, we believe we sell more than cement. We sell value and strength. A young family purchasing BUA to lay a foundation is buying a future. A contractor finishing a high-rise is investing in safety. You, our distributors, are the custodians of that trust. When you guarantee the quality of our product and deliver it on time, you are upholding our brand's honor.
That is why this award ceremony is a sacred tradition for us. We must celebrate excellence because excellence in distribution means excellence in nation building. We are indeed very proud of our partnership with you. This strategic partnership is what has formed the theme for this year's awards: Growing Together. Tonight we have several categories for the top performers, from the regional champions to the pacesetters, to the powerhouses, and of course, the market dominators. Their well-deserved rewards will be unveiled as this ceremony unfolds.
To the winners, you have set the benchmark. Your inventory management, your customer relations, and your ability to move volume under pressure are examples for the entire network. I want to give a special mention to all our dealers across the country. We see you and we value you. And we are working tirelessly to improve our supply chain to make your job safer and more profitable. In fact, we are glad to reassure you that we are making concerted efforts to increase our capacity by having an additional Line 6 in Sokoto, and our 3-million-ton-per-annum Edo plant can also come on stream soon. I believe these additional capacities will provide improved efficiencies to meet market demand.
Also, tonight all our dealers shall receive a 30 Naira per bag bonus on all volumes purchased in 2025. A whooping sum of about 5 billion Naira has been earmarked for this purpose. As I wrap up, I ask you to look at the person sitting next to you. They are your competitor in the market, but they are your comrade in the industry. Learn from them and respect them. Thank you for a historic year, and here is to breaking every record next year. Cheers and good night. Thank you.
The river is born full, but it does not become powerful until it learns to carry more than itself. And somewhere far from boardrooms, before the language of profit and applause, there were hands. Hands that wake before dawn. Hands that move what must be moved. Hands that carry weights so something greater can stand. Because every structure that stands, every skyline that stretches into tomorrow leans on people we do not always name. And still somewhere someone stands in the presence of abundance, standing on a promise built on labor, on belief, and vision, and asks, 'What shall I continue to build that the wind cannot scatter? How shall I continue to turn ideas into permanence? How do I make wealth stretch its hand beyond itself? Beyond towers, beyond market, beyond walls, into schools, into hands, into lives, into futures that did not begin with me, but will continue because of me?' And every now and then, someone answers this question.
And here in this country and beyond, that answer has taken form in the name that we have come to know as BUA. Built factories that stabilize. Taken decisions that understand that wealth is not proven by possession, but by participation. Because when cement becomes more than material, when it becomes access, when it becomes livelihood, when it becomes entry into dignity, then you begin to understand that this was never just business; this is legacy. But even legacy is not a solitary act. A vision, no matter how vast, must travel. It must pass through hands that understand weight, through journeys that stretch across distance and demand, and through those who do not just carry product, but trust.
The distributors. You are the bridge between intention and impact. The ones who take possibility and place it into the everyday lives of people. Because what is created must still find its way into the world. And what is imagined must still be placed into the lives of others. You, the distributors, are the moment. You are not just fulfilling demand or part of an exchange. You are part of a becoming. You are not behind a story; you are inside of it. Written in its movement, present in its reach, alive in every place that it arrives. Because the true measure of wealth is not what gathers around your name, but what stretches far beyond it. And oh, this is something BUA understands. Because wealth, when understood, does not stand still long enough to be admired. It travels. It multiplies. It arrives. And now this is what it means to grow together. Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is only fitting that now we hear from the man who holds this moment together. The man who has not only built, but continues to shape the architecture of possibility in Nigeria and beyond. A dexterous leader, a leader of remarkable precision, a man who is a master of execution, a man of rare skill and clarity. Please join me as I welcome on stage the Chairman and the Founder of the BUA Group, in the person of Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, CFR.
Celebrate each other. Good evening and welcome to our annual customer forum. Today is not an ordinary day for us. It is a special gathering, one that unites our customers, partners, and stakeholders who play a critical role in our journey. It is a defining moment, a moment to recognize, to reflect, and most importantly, to reset our ambition for the future. I stand before you with a deep sense of pride, but more than that, I stand here with clarity—clarity about where we are and clarity about where we must go next.
Because the truth is simple: The strength of this company is not measured only by the scale of our operations or the capacity of our plants. It is measured by the strength of our partnerships, and that strength is sitting right here in this room. Yes, you, our customers, our partners, you are the backbone of everything we have achieved. You are the ones who take our product to the market. You are the ones who defend our brand. You are the ones who ensure that what we produce translates into real impact across cities, towns, and communities. Without you, there is no growth. Without you, there is no market leadership. Without you, there is no story to tell.
And that is why today begins with appreciation. I want to thank you, not in a conventional way, but in a very deliberate and meaningful way. Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for your resilience. Thank you for standing with us even in challenging times. There have been moments when the market was uncertain, moments when competition was aggressive, moments when conditions were not ideal. But you did not withdraw. You advanced. You pushed harder. You sold stronger. You represented the company with confidence and determination. That is what sets you apart. That is what makes you valuable, and that is what we honor today.
Ladies and gentlemen, appreciation without recognition is incomplete. So today we go beyond words. Today we recognize performance. Today we will reward excellence. As a company that believes in acknowledging results, we will be presenting monetary rewards and gifts to our outstanding partners. These are not symbolic acts; they are deliberate acknowledgments of the value you have created, the targets you have exceeded, and the trust you have upheld.
But as we celebrate, I want us to understand something that is very important. This is not a destination. This is a checkpoint, because the future we are stepping into will demand more from all of us. Let me paint that picture clearly. Across our nation, the pace of development is accelerating. The need for housing is increasing. Infrastructure projects are expanding. Cities are growing. Communities are evolving. And at the center of all of this is one critical material: cement. That places us and every one of you here in a position of immense opportunity.
But opportunity alone does not guarantee success. Execution does, discipline does, ambition does. And that is why I want to challenge you today, because the next phase of our growth will not come from doing business as usual. It will come from doing more: more reach, more volume, more presence in the market, more strategic thinking, more intentional execution. So, I'm calling you to step up to the next level. Expand your markets. Strengthen your distribution networks. Invest in your capacity. Build stronger relationships with the market. Position yourselves not just as sellers, but as leaders. Do not wait for the market to come to you—go to the market. Do not respond to competition—outperform the competition. Do not aim to participate—aim to dominate, because that is the level we must operate at.
Let me also be clear about our responsibility as a company. We understand and appreciate that your success is ours, and we are committed, fully committed, to supporting you. We will continue to invest in product quality. We will continue to strengthen our supply chain. We will continue to improve our service delivery. And we will continue to build systems and structures that enable you to win consistently in your markets. But partnership is not passive. It is active. It is intentional. It is built on mutual commitment. We will do our part, and we expect you to do yours, because the vision we share is bigger than any one of us. We are not just building a company; we are building an institution. We are not just moving products; we are enabling development. We are not just participating in the industry; we are shaping its future. And that future will be defined by those who are willing to go further, push harder, and think bigger.
So today, as we recognize excellence and reward performance, I also issue a clear and direct call to action: Raise your standards. Increase your ambition. Commit to growth at a higher level. Align fully with the direction of your company, BUA Cement. Take ownership of your role in this journey, because the truth is, what we have achieved is significant, but it is not enough. And it will never be enough, because we are built for more: more impact, more growth, more leadership, more success. And I have no doubt in my mind that with the strength in this room, we will achieve that. So to every partner here today, I thank you, I recognize you, I celebrate you, and I challenge you. Let us leave this forum not just inspired, but determined—determined to do more, determined to grow more, determined to win together. The future is not something we wait for. The future is something we build, and we will build it together. Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, now presenting the MCs and hosts for the night. Please make welcome Richmond Osuji and Tami Badru, your MCs for the night. A round of applause for them.
I think for all he has done for this great country and continues to do, for building a business that has continued to build people and societies, the applause he got after his remarks would be just fitting for MCs like us. But for a nation builder like him, please give our Chairman a resounding applause. Thank you so much, Chairman. Thank you, Your Excellencies, very distinguished ladies and gentlemen, esteemed partners, industry leaders, employees, friends of BUA, and of course, the stars of the night, the reason we are gathered here tonight, the incredible BUA distributors who make this story possible. Good evening. Gathered here today are a collection of builders, men and women who have transformed visions into velocity and supply into dominance in the market. You are more than distributors; you are the link between ambition and dominance. Just as Peter Drucker rightly observed, the best way to predict the future is to create it. And you, BUA distributors, you've done exactly that by making BUA Cement available, accessible, and visible.
At BUA Cement, impact and loyalty never go unnoticed. They are recognized, they are valued, and of course, they are rewarded. BUA believes in profitable partnership, hence the theme for tonight: Growing Together. As Steve Jobs said, great things in business are never done alone; they are done by a team of people. And I dare say, Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you are the team of people. So tonight, a total of 30 outstanding distributors will be honored: the top 10 regional companies or regional champions will be recognized, then the top 18 outstanding distributors, and ultimately, the top two pinnacle distributors who exemplify the excellence of the BUA Cement ecosystem.
Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, but recognition is not the finish line. As our Chairman alluded to earlier, it is a signal that the bar has been raised. In the spirit of creating and building, we turn to one of the greats to do it, John D. Rockefeller, who advised, 'Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.' Therefore, tonight we're here to position for the great.
Amazing. Ladies and gentlemen, Your Excellencies, tonight has been carefully created to reflect you: seamless, intentional, and of course, world-class distributors of the king of strength. At this point, can you give yourselves a round of applause? And who better to guide you through this world-class created event to celebrate you and give you a memorable night than your world-class masters of ceremony? She is—
Tami Badru, also known as the presidential host.
And I am Richmond Osuji, simply known as your first-class talk service provider. And together, we will give you a memorable show tonight. Tami, tell me, we're here for appreciation?
So, in your language, how do you say thank you?
All right. Before I tell you the language that I was born and spoke, you know, there's a beautiful lady who spoke earlier who gave the international poem, Alhanislam, and let me mention that she inspired my outfit tonight. So, let me start with how we say thank you in Hausa language: Nagode. Now to the place of my birth, we say Ese tonight, Ese.
For me, when I was called to represent the BUA Cement brand today, I took notice of the fact that there are two plants: in Sokoto and in Edo State.
So what you see on the outside of my outfit is my version of the agbada, and what you see on the inside is my version of the Edo outfit. So as the Edo would say—
And indeed she has spoken in Hausa, and if you look around the designs on my outfit, you will see the touch of commerce—
The Igbos. So I say, 'Nno, bienvenu, welcome,' ladies and gentlemen, to the 2026 BUA Cement Distributors Award Ceremony.
Thank you. And just before we go further, I think it will be fitting—we have said how we say thank you in our different languages.
I think it will be fitting for us to look around to the table, the people you're sitting beside. Can you tell them thank you in your local language?
Let's see how many people know their local languages.
Say thank you on behalf of BUA Cement.
In German language, we say Danke. Indeed. How are you?
Thank you. Thank you so much.
All right, Tami, we're going to get busy on social media tonight.
So, ladies and gentlemen, please when you post—you're all looking beautiful and handsome, by the way.
So, when you post your pictures tonight, please #GrowingTogether #BUACementDistributorsAward. And then please, if you're here and you're not following BUA Cement or any of the companies in the BUA Group, do so on social media. Follow @BUAGroup across social media, BUA Cement across social media. Any other ones you want to mention?
Yes: Facebook, BUACementNG; IG and TikTok, BUACement; LinkedIn and X, BUACement. And you know, just taking a hint from what you said about them looking beautiful, I came into this hall before it was fully set up, and I came in when it was fully set up but our distinguished guests had not come in. Let me tell you that you took this hall from 100% to a billion percent just because of how beautiful you are. So please, can you give yourselves again a round of applause? Our distinguished guests, you look beautiful. Let me tell you that you look so beautiful tonight.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, we will go now into the very first segment of awards. It is the Regional Champion awards. Now, this is the order it will take: A video will play, and that video will reel out the names of our 10 regional champions. Now, these regional champions, you will get up from your seat as you see your names and proceed to stand on the side of the podium to our left. We will then invite two gentlemen who will present the awards to you. Upon standing that way, we will then invite you one after the other to come and receive your respective certificates, plaques of appreciation, and indeed the beautiful, beautiful bonuses that BUA Cement is giving you today. So without much ado, we'll proceed to the regional awards now.
All right, to our regional champions, please be on standby as the video plays out. Technical, please, a video play-out for the regional awards.
And now, the regional champions for the night. These are the great men and women moving this product across the country with great strength, determination, and focus. Ladies and gentlemen, our regional champions: Zepset Construction Limited, Kazab Heritage Limited, Marcelis Enterprise, and Mufimani E&C Heritage Nigeria Limited, and of course, AMD and Sons Nigeria Limited, and of course, Georgia Zuma Nigeria Limited, and of course, Opama Trading Company, and the last one, Good to Great Integrated Services. A round of applause as they make their way to the stage. A round of applause, family! Let's give them a round of applause. These are our regional champions of the night making their way to the stage.
Thank you. Please, let's keep celebrating them loudly. It's no mean feat to be our regional champions. Now, to present this award to them, let me welcome on stage to present the regional champions for the North and the South: the GM North, Abdul Ganiyu Yusuf, and of course, the GM South, Chuka Onwuegbuzie. Please come on stage to help us present these wonderful awards.
All right, so we will begin now with the regional champions of the South. Let's begin with Zepset Construction Limited. Please say it again.
And the first one, Zepset.
A round of applause for Zepset. Now, what I need to inform the recipients is, after you receive your award, you come this way and I will position you where you will stand here to wait for the others. In that regard, we'll need one person for each company to take a position here. The others can take their seats after that. Please proceed. Are we done? All right. Thank you very much.
Please note that each and every one of them will be getting 900 bags of cement. A round of applause for this.
All right, the next, Kazab Heritage Limited, congratulations, please. A round of applause. Our regional champions, a round of applause.
900 bags of cement. That is the BUA Cement way to me.
Rewarding loyalty, rewarding partnership. Yes, rewarding excellence. I think it deserves another round of applause.
Nishua, you are next. Please step forward. A round of applause. Congratulate them. Appreciate them. Yes, they provide access. Yes, they provide visibility for the brand. Yes, they make it available to builders across Nigeria and beyond. Thank you. All right. Next is Marcelis Enterprise, Gboyega Akinlabi. Thank you for your partnership. Congratulations on your recognition. Please, please, yes. Congratulations on your recognition. We look forward to you rising through the ranks of this honor to get into the next category in the coming year. Congratulations is in order for you.
And next is Mufimani Nigeria Limited. Mufimani, congratulations. Thank you for your partnership. BUA Cement says a big thank you to you.
And now, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, to the Regional Champion award for the North. Let me welcome E&C Heritage Nigeria Limited to get their award. Highly deserved, E&C Nigeria Limited from Northwest. Congratulations.
Next to E&C Nigeria Limited, AMD and Sons Nigeria Limited, please get ready. You are next. Tonight is truly your night. AMD and Sons Nigeria Limited, congratulations.
And after AMD and Sons Nigeria Limited, Georgia Zuma Nigeria Limited, please let's celebrate them, ladies and gentlemen. Opama Trading Company, please get ready because you are next. Opama Trading Company, get ready because you're next. And of course, Good to Great Integrated Services. Good to Great Integrated Services, it's your moment.
All right, completing that list now is Good to Great. Thank you, GMs. Thank you very much. We would like to now invite the Chairman of BUA Cement—Chairman, sir, if you can please—and alongside with the Chairman, the MD of BUA Cement.
All right. Thank you very much, photographers. You have the shot. You have the shot. You have the shot. Thank you. Please, one more round of applause for our regional champions as they make their way to their seats. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, MD, for gracing that family photo with your esteemed presence, demonstrating again and again your commitment to the distributors. Onwards, onwards. Now we move over to the Pacesetters award. Same thing applies here. So please, technical, once you are ready, cue the video that introduces them to come on stage. Over to you, technical.
And ladies and gentlemen, now time for the Pacesetters awards. These are the pacesetters of the year, and please come to stage alone—only the recipients on stage—for the Pacesetters award tonight.
First name is Alhaji Yahaya Assada, Julius Omoku and Sons Enterprise, Joe Glad Concept Company Limited, Sadik Abdullahi Dan Golola, and Infi and Sons Global Enterprise. A round of applause for them. These are the pacesetters of tonight. A round of applause for them, people. Truly deserving.
Truly deserving. To present the award to the pacesetters, please welcome plant directors Engineer Ahmed Idris of Obu plant and Engineer Aminu Bashir. Engineer Ahmed Idris of Obu plant and Engineer Aminu Bashir of the Sokoto plant. Please, a round of applause for our plant directors.
Let's begin the presentation. Let's ask Alhaji Yahaya Assada to please step forward to receive—is he on stage now? Please step forward. Please step forward. Alongside the cash check they're receiving, they're also getting a Toyota RAV4 2025 auto.
That's the BUA Cement way, ladies and gentlemen.
That's appreciation. That's appreciation. That is what BUA does to you, making you what you are, a deserving partner. Congratulations.
And ladies and gentlemen, in addition to this, they will be receiving a brand-new Toyota RAV4. All right. Next up, we would like to call on Julius Omoku and Sons Enterprise. Congratulations. Don't get tired of appreciating them with applause because BUA Cement, you are not tired of appreciating them for being distributors. We can't be tired with our applause.
All right. Joe Glad Concept Company. Okay, we're still giving you... Okay, don't go. The guy that received, you need to wait here for the same picture. Please don't go. Please don't go. All right, Joe Glad Concept Company Limited, please step forward. Joe Glad, a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen, for each of them. A round of applause.
Sadik Abdullahi Dan Golola General Merchant, you are next. Just give us... Are they done with her? All right, once you're done with her, you step forward, Sadik. If Infi & Sons Global Enterprise, you will complete the hit.
If Infi & Sons Global Enterprise completes the list.
Thank you. But please give our plant directors a round of applause. Thank you. Thank you. Chairman and MD says, "Please, sir, you can come and join the picture again." Thank you. Congratulations.
The reward for work is more work, and in this case, more money. So congratulations to all our distributors.
All right. All right. All right. We are still with the pacesetters, and this time, technical, if we can please have the next five for the pacesetter. Ladies and gentlemen, now for the next five.
Please support them with a round of applause so we can celebrate them all. And now it's getting ready. And it's getting ready. If you hear your name, make your way to the stage.
Right. Lafenax Nigeria Limited, a round of applause. Aminu Magaji, Johnny and Sons Ventures Limited, Bello Mido Nigeria Limited, Excel 2014 Ventures Nigeria Limited. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause as they make their way to the stage. These are the next top five pacesetters of the year. Amazing family of BUA Cement. Thank you, pacesetters.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, to present the award to the pacesetters, let me welcome on stage the company secretary, Hauwa Satomi, and Jacques Piekarski, CFO. Let me welcome you on stage to please help us present this wonderful reward to them, all the recipients, the distributors who have been celebrated so kindly tonight. Thank you. Let's now start with Lafenax Nigeria Limited. The stage is yours. Lafenax Nigeria Limited, please come forward to receive your prize.
Ladies and gentlemen, the prize is a 2025 Toyota RAV4. And for the sake of those who cannot see the checkbook very clearly, let me read out the figures to you. It says 44,838,000 naira. That is a handsome reward.
Next, let me welcome on stage Aminu Magaji. Please step forward to receive your... Aminu Magaji, please, ma'am, could you please stay back while Aminu Magaji comes forward? 46,512,000 naira and a 2025 brand-new Toyota RAV4. Truly, BUA Cement rewards its own. Please, can you celebrate them?
Next, let me welcome on stage Johnny and Sons Ventures Limited. Please come forward and please receive your prize. Johnny and Sons is going away with a big checkbook: 51,972,000 naira and a 2025 Toyota RAV4. Ladies and gentlemen, even if they're not going to give you part of the money, still celebrate them. Celebrate them.
All right, let me welcome next Bello Mido Nigeria Limited. Bello Mido, the stage is yours for a check of 53,307,000 naira and a brand-new Toyota RAV4. Congratulations. And last but definitely not least, let me welcome Excel 2014 Ventures Nigeria Enterprise. Please come and take your check of 55,584,000 naira and a 2025 Toyota RAV4. All of this just to say thank you. Thank you so much.
And now they proceed for photographs. May I invite to the stage the chairman and president of BUA Group to please join on stage for the photographs? And of course, the MD of BUA Cement. Please do them the honors of joining for this beautiful photograph.
Indeed, it's a happy night. Congratulations.
Do you have a shot for the RAV4? You have the shot. Thank you very much. Please, a resounding applause as they take their seats, our pacesetters for 2025, honored this day for their long-standing partnership, for their commitment to the brand, for helping builders across Nigeria access the king of strength.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we will pause the talking and the presentation of awards and serve you another promise tonight, which is entertainment. We promised you entertainment and recognitions. Recognitions you've seen, entertainment you've seen. It's time for some more entertainment as we now invite for your entertainment one of Nigeria's biggest music comedy names. This young man has become an icon, an icon in the niche market that he created for himself in the comedy industry. He sells out shows, he packs them out, and he is one who would leave you laughing and nodding your head to fine music at the same time. Please welcome a comedian of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kenny—
Thank you so much, Mr. DJ. Your excellencies, highly distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am Otolorin Kehinde. My friends call me Kenny Rabiu Blaq. Even the guy is confused. But my father is not just aware. And I'm honored to be here celebrating with this amazing company that I've been a fan of for a long time. It is not every day you see people come together and say, "Let us appreciate those that made us who we are, our customers, our amazing people." I think they deserve a round of applause. Come on, let's keep it going.
I just got back from Ogun State, and I'm happy to be here. I'm going to remind him of the first time we met, because immediately he saw me, he said, "Kenny Blaq, you don't call me again." I said I will explain on stage why I don't call you. So one thing he did, he gave me his number and he said, "Call me when you need anything." So there are days I just want to call and say, "Hello, you are doing an amazing job." So one day I called him. I said, "Hello, sir." He said, "Kenny Blaq." I said, "How?" He said, "How are you?" I said, "I'm fine, sir. I just called to greet you." He said, "Don't do that. Where are you?" I said, "I'm in front of where they are selling cars." He said, "Enter there, tell them Rabiu. They will give you a G-Wagon." I thought it was a joke. I just said, "BUA." They said, "Don't finish it." They gave me a G-Wagon. Clap for him.
Two days later, I called him just to say hi. I said, "Hello, sir." He said, "Kenny, don't even waste your airtime. Where are you?" I said, "I'm in front of a bank." He said, "Enter that bank, tell them Rabiu. They'll give you 10 million." I just said, "Ra—" They said, "Don't finish it." They gave me 10 million. I did not know every day is for the thief, one day is for the owner. I was on Third Mainland Bridge going to the mainland from the island. I called, he said, "Kenny, where are you?" I said, "I'm on Third Mainland." He said, "What can you see?" I said, "I can see water." He said, "Enter there." That's why I don't call him again. I only send him text.
And if there is one beautiful thing that I like that we are here: he said to me the first time that he saw me over 10 years ago, "Kenny Blaq, if you keep doing what you are doing, people will call you." I would like to tell you, sir, that you have a calling over your life, your prayer was answered. It's just that when you said people will call me, sir, you did not tell me who will call me, because I don't say amen to every prayer anymore. My landlord prayed for my cousin and said, "You are going places." Till today we don't know where the guy is. He has been walking up and down, going places, no address. But when he said, "Kenny Blaq, people will call you," I said, "Sir, amen." Then, sir, your prayer worked, because I can't remember who called me for this event, but maybe it was your PA. I don't know who created the law that once you have money, your voice must be thick. The person that called me on your behalf, that person has more money than me. What I heard was, "Hello." I said, "Who is this? Don't shout at me." "Can I speak to Kenny Blaq?" I said, "Yes, sir." "How much do you charge for weddings for this?" I said, "For MC, for comedy, I will do 20 million or 30 million." He said, "That's on the high side. Can you do 15 million?" I said, "Even with 10 million, I will serve small chops, take your children to school, wash plates, and mop the ground when the event is done." When I got to the event, it was K1 who sang. Any event you see in Kwara, do your program first before K1 sings, because once he starts, that's the vote of thanks.
When he sees money, religion changes. "You are coming to spray pounds, coming to spray dollars. Pastor Moses G..." But I don't know if I have my Igbo people here. Igbo Kwenu! Sir, I know you have had conversations with Igbo people, but you can never cheat an Igbo man. One man came, and from what I heard, it was, "Can I speak to Kenny Blaq?" I said, "Kenny Blaq is the same thing." "How much do you charge to MC a wedding?" I said, "For MC, I do 20 million." The man replied to me, "We have paid for the hall. You will not cook, you're not the one arranging the chairs. It's just to MC?" I said, "For MC, I do 20 million." "It's okay. Remove the 'M'. How much is only 'C'? Let us 'M' for you." But sir, your prayer worked for me. You said I will stand in front of kings and not just ordinary men. Sir, I'm privileged to tell you that I've been able to speak to presidents because you prayed for me.
Clap for him. But sir, the only president I've not spoken to—because I'm going to come and meet you to pray for me—is Donald Trump, because I need to speak to him. When I speak to him, maybe I might not hear what he says. He can be like, "We're going to do so much more. We want to tell you what they're doing. My friend Rabiu is a good guy. Wonderful brother. Proud of you. Keep doing what you're doing." But sir, you said a president will call me. I'm happy to tell you that two weeks ago, our current president called me. He flashed me, then I called him back. Sir, he said you gave him my number. When I heard Jagaban's voice, I knew that I had made it. What I heard was, "Hold on for the president." Then I heard his voice: "How are you doing?" I said, "I'm fine, sir." He said, "Very good. I got your number from Rabiu." He said, "I would like to invite you to a town hall." All of us are going to Abuja now. But sir, you did not tell me that you were going to give a minister my number. Wike called me! Oh, sir, Wike called me! All I heard was, "Hold on for the minister." I heard, "You're doing a wonderful job. You're a wonderful comedian. Wonderful comedian." I would like to stop that joke there for security reasons.
The beautiful thing happening in Nigeria and in the world is that we are united. I love the fact that we have Yorubas. I love the Yorubas, just that in their song, the chorus is longer than the verse. If you see someone come to this place to sing, you will be confused if we are celebrating another people. You just hear... But the song is simple. Just tell them you have an album.
Mommy and daddy's Igbo song is the simplest song to sing in the world. With just one line, you have an album. Just change the tone. Chorus: "Wonderful, marvelous works of my God. Blessed be Thy name. Wonderful, marvelous hands of my God. Blessed be Thy name." Verse one: "Wonderful, marvelous..." What is the difference? Even if you put a verse in a song that doesn't have a verse, you hear: "My Jesus, You are worthy to be praised. Our Lord, my Jesus, You are worthy to be praised." Verse one: "You are worthy, You are worthy, You are worthy, You are worthy." What is going on? In any song, you must see husband and wife; in their minds, they are singing different things. It's a lie, it's the same thing. Mama is taking high notes, husband is taking low notes, and they confuse the whole place. Mama will start... Put your hands together for yourselves.
Before we end on the Igbo people, because I'm about to bring up somebody, let's do a quick check: songs of those days and songs of these days. Which one makes sense? Those days or these days? Those days. Back then, if you saw a beautiful lady, you could just look at her and be like, "Informer, informer, informer, I want to marry you." Your parents will now advise you: "If you marry a taxi driver, after your wedding, what will happen to you?" Even those that went to private school, they had poems like, "There were two little blackbirds..." Okay, Igbo people, it's not "one named Peter," it's "Fly away, Peter. Come back, Peter." Those that went to my school, public school, Government Junior High School, Ibadan: "Wherever you go, please lock the doors. Wherever you see, do not say yes where you ought to say no."
Our music has gone so far. Everything is musical now. Even right now, people abroad are singing our songs. I went to India. I was seeing them singing our music. I was like, "How?" They said, "Kenny Blaq, we love Nigerian music. Everything you do is wonderful music." I said, "What's your favorite genre of music?" They said they love the Igbo people. I said, "How?" In India, they have a genre of music called Hindi. In Nigeria, Igbo people have a genre of music called Ogene. So imagine if Indians and Nigerians marry, it will now be Hindo-gene. Should we give a trial of what an Igbo-Indian song will sound like? Should we try it? Do I have Indians in the house? Make some noise. You look Indian. You're not? I need to talk to my brother. Hello, what's your name?
Lebanon. Good. And I'm seeing another person in the house. Oh, I like the fact that he's wearing native attire and he looks amazing. We are going to give him a Nigerian name today whether he likes it or not, representing our culture. Can you please put your hands together for this amazing man here? You don't have to stand up. Please sit down. No, please sit down. You have more money than me, just sit down. What's your name, sir? Rajesh?
Rajesh. Don't lie to me, you are one of us. Where are you from?
