Abdul Samad Rabiu, founder of BUA Group, has criticised what he described as unequal visa treatment in Africa after he was denied entry into South Africa over an expired visa while European travellers were allowed in without visas.

Rabiu, the second richest man in Africa spoke on Thursday during the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, where he addressed the topic, “Africa at Scale: Capital, Policy, and the Architecture of Growth.”

Recounting his experience, the billionaire said he travelled from Lagos to Cape Town in February 2025 for the Mining Indaba conference but discovered on arrival that his visa had expired a day earlier.

According to him, immigration officials refused him entry and he was forced to return to Nigeria after waiting for several hours at the airport.

Rabiu, however, said what troubled him most was seeing passengers arriving from Europe gain entry into South Africa without visas while Africans still faced strict travel barriers within the continent.

He said although he accepted responsibility for travelling with an expired visa, African countries must address policies that make movement difficult for fellow Africans while offering easier access to visitors from outside the continent.

The businessman also expressed concern over the slow implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying many African businesses still face administrative bottlenecks and trade restrictions despite promises of regional integration.

Rabiu noted that BUA Group had encountered challenges expanding into some African markets due to inconsistent policies and import barriers.

He stressed that Africa’s economic growth would depend heavily on stronger regional cooperation, improved infrastructure, coordinated policies, and better access to cross-border capital.

According to him, the continent has the resources and market potential to compete globally, but success will require practical execution of integration policies rather than agreements existing only on paper.