By; AMOS MATHEW, Kaduna
At his 80th birthday, Chairman of ABG Group of Companies, Alhaji Bawa Garba (ABG) said his wishes at his age is to
touch more lives and to empower more honest Nigerians irrespective of who they are or where they are coming from.
He made it known in a pre-birthday interview with newsmen, saying it is one of the things his praying to God to help him achieve.
The Kaduna-breed renown philanthropist, business mogul, added that, one of his utmost priorities is to lift more Nigerians from poverty through transport and agriculture empowerments.
“Over the years, ABG as popularly known in the business environment has led in different strata of the Nigerian economy from communication to construction, agriculture to transportation among others, the interventions that have given birth to numerous business entities across the country today.
” I am coming up with strategies to empower honest Nigerians who wish to build legit wealth for themselves through deferred transport and agriculture schemes which would be unveiled in a few weeks” he stated.
He went further to say that, “I am still active at 80 years of age because I lived a contented lifestyle. I don’t border myself over money and that is why I am still working even when all my children are doing well.
“I am the founder of the Kaduna International trade fair some 44 years ago precisely on February 18, 1979, which we started at Murtala Square.
“I financed the first trade fair which was flagged off by the late Air Marshall Ibrahim Alfa, the then administrator of Kaduna. It took me one year to move around the world canvassing and convincing the participants to grace the fair with their services and products.
“The Kaduna International Trade Fair is one of the well-attended fairs because we were getting participants from many parts of the world including Nigeria especially the Dangote Group of Company which has been sponsoring many of our activities.
“So many people benefitted from Kaduna holding the International fair because many private businessmen were able to buy their machines from participants who came from different parts of the world who disposed of their machines at a giveaway price at the end of the fair that year.
“Now, we intend to install a 90 metric tons per hour fertiliser blending plant in Kaduna between March and April this year. This will also give employment to thousands of Nigerians”, the man with many firsts said.
According to him, he had never worked with the government, encouraging young Nigerians to embrace entrepreneurial opportunities to enable them to be job creators, not seekers.
“All along, I have not worked with the government but the private sector including the defunct Northex textile, Arewa construction company after I ventured into personal business with so many businesses in Nigeria today. So at 80, I thank God for preserving my life”, he added.
Sharing the secrete of his sound health at 80 he said, “I work to exercise my brain even up till 12:30 midnight and I have been like that all my life. I also do normal exercise so there is no secret perse than these physical and brain exercises that I do.
“I am also favoured by the type of children God blessed me with. They have a good background and they are all doing well. Ordinarily, I would have just stayed and asked my children to take care of me. But, it is not about money. I am still working at my age because I want to be active. I believe if I don’t do anything, it will affect my health”, he maintained.
