SCOA Nigeria Plc has vehemently refuted recent media criticisms targeting the appointment of its Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Massad Boulos, as Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to US President-elect Donald Trump. The company characterizes the attacks as a baseless smear campaign orchestrated by individuals lacking a comprehensive understanding of Boulos’s extensive business achievements and leadership capabilities. SCOA maintains that the criticisms unfairly target Boulos’s professional accomplishments and misrepresent his character. Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman and father-in-law to Tiffany Trump, has faced scrutiny since the announcement of his appointment, but SCOA Nigeria Plc aims to set the record straight regarding his qualifications and contributions.
Magnus Onyibe, Non-Executive Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at SCOA Nigeria Plc, issued a statement emphasizing Boulos’s impressive business acumen and successful track record across multiple industries. Onyibe describes Boulos as a highly accomplished businessman instrumental in transforming SCOA Nigeria Plc into a prominent player in Nigeria’s industrial and economic sectors. He lauds Boulos’s expertise in executing complex international transactions and facilitating trade partnerships between Nigeria, France, and Germany, highlighting his ability to navigate the intricacies of global commerce. The statement underscores Boulos’s pivotal role in securing significant deals, such as the supply of a large fleet of trucks to Lafarge Africa through a tripartite agreement involving a logistics firm, GPC, and Union Bank Plc.
Responding directly to media allegations questioning Boulos’s financial standing and experience, SCOA Nigeria Plc asserts that such claims are misleading and unfounded. The company reiterates President-elect Trump’s characterization of Boulos as a “deal-maker,” emphasizing his proven ability to negotiate and execute intricate international transactions. These transactions, according to SCOA, have facilitated valuable partnerships between Nigerian, German, and French businesses, generating substantial benefits for all involved. Furthermore, the company credits Boulos’s leadership not only for SCOA’s success but also for the broader international achievements of the FADOUL Group, positioning him as a strategic visionary well-suited for his new advisory role. SCOA highlights Boulos’s role in mobilizing the Arab-American and Middle Eastern-American vote, contributing significantly to the Trump-Pence victory and demonstrating his political acumen.
Under Boulos’s leadership, SCOA Nigeria Plc has solidified its position as a leading supplier of trucks, power generators, agricultural equipment, and construction machinery, serving major clients such as Julius Berger, Lafarge Africa, and the Dangote Group. The company’s contributions extend to critical infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano highway, as well as transformative projects like Eko Atlantic City, where SCOA has provided essential machinery. SCOA’s involvement in Eko Atlantic City, a visionary urban project set to host the world’s largest US Embassy, underscores the company’s significance in Nigeria’s development landscape.
SCOA Nigeria Plc traces its roots back over four decades, boasting the distinction of being the first European automotive assembly plant in Nigeria. Its legacy includes assembling Peugeot vehicles in the 1970s and, currently, assembling, distributing, and marketing M.A.N trucks and buses, power generators, tractors, agricultural equipment, and heavy-duty construction and mining machinery crucial to Nigeria’s key sectors. The company’s clientele includes prominent names in the Nigerian construction industry, such as Julius Berger, Lafarge Africa PLC, the Chagoury Group, and the Dangote Group. SCOA’s equipment plays a crucial role in major infrastructure projects nationwide, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway and the Lagos-Shagamu stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Beyond trucks, SCOA Nigeria Plc supplies concrete, road construction, and mining equipment, partnering with leading infrastructure companies to drive Nigeria’s development. The company’s equipment is instrumental in projects like the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road network, enhancing connectivity and trade across Nigeria. SCOA’s contribution to Eko Atlantic City, a project addressing Lagos’s urbanization challenges, highlights its commitment to sustainable development. Furthermore, SCOA Nigeria Plc, as a member of the FADOUL Group, extends its influence across West and Central Africa, demonstrating its impact beyond Nigeria’s borders. The FADOUL Group, a multinational conglomerate valued at over $1 billion, operates across the region, employing over 20,000 people and contributing significantly to regional economic growth. This underscores the scale and scope of operations under Boulos’s leadership, emphasizing his extensive experience and business acumen.
