Nigerian business executive Bella Disu is taking a closer look at what comes next for Abumet Nigeria Limited, as the glass and aluminum manufacturer works to expand its business and build a company that can sustain growth over the long term.

Disu, who chairs Abumet’s board, shared details of the company’s recent strategy session in a LinkedIn post, saying the discussions were designed to challenge the management team on some of the biggest issues facing the business and the wider construction industry.

Abumet rethinks its strategy

“Last week, we held the Abumet Nigeria Board and Management Strategy Retreat at Ìsimi Lagos, and I left more convinced than ever of what this team is capable of,” Disu said.

She said the company took a different approach to its strategy retreat this year, bringing in speakers from architecture, professional services, business education and green building to offer new perspectives on the company’s future. “My goal was simple: to raise new questions rather than settle for easy answers,” Disu said.

The discussions covered how innovation could help Abumet move beyond supplying products and toward solving practical building problems. The team also examined governance, company culture and how Abumet presents its business to customers and the wider market.

Bella Disu said the company also listened to feedback from its employees, stressing that feedback has value only when it leads to change. “We challenged ourselves on how we tell the ABUMET story, and on building a business that is sustainable in every sense of the word,” she said.

She thanked the retreat’s speakers, including Babatunde Sofola of Baron Architecture, Oladimeji Alo of Excel Professional Services, Professor Eugene Ohu of Lagos Business School, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya of CMC Connect LLP and Danjuma Waniko, president of the Green Building Council Nigeria.

Disu also acknowledged Abumet’s board and management team for their contribution to the company’s recent performance. The retreat also included time for the team to unwind after the strategy sessions. “ABUMET is writing its own story, and the next chapter is about scale, reach and impact,” Disu said.

Abumet’s role in Julius Berger

Abumet is a 90 percent subsidiary of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and manufactures and sells aluminum, steel, iron and other structural products used in construction.

Bella Disu, who also serves as a nonexecutive director of Julius Berger, has taken a more active role in the company’s building-solutions business as Abumet has worked to increase sales and expand its presence in the Nigerian market.

The performance of Julius Berger has also improved significantly in recent years. In the 2025 fiscal year, revenue increased to N759.9 billion ($572 million), from N566.7 billion ($426.4 million) a year earlier.

Profit rose to N30.2 billion ($22.7 million), from N15.51 billion ($11.7 million) in 2024. The company had also reported higher revenue in 2024, rising from N446.1 billion ($335.1 million) in 2023 to N566.7 billion ($426.4 million).

Abumet has expanded its sales and marketing efforts during the period, including the expansion of its Lagos sales office. The company has also continued to promote its made-in-Nigeria window and door solutions and its EVONIGGLASS insulated glass brand. The changes have come as Abumet has moved from a period of financial pressure to stronger earnings.

From losses to stronger earnings

Disu became chairman of Abumet’s board in January 2021, succeeding Bamanga Tukur. She assumed the position as the company was dealing with significant losses and the wider construction industry was adjusting to the effects of the pandemic.

Since then, she has been closely involved in the company’s efforts to improve its financial performance, expand its commercial operations and strengthen its position in Nigeria’s building-solutions market.

Her work at Abumet forms part of a broader role within the business interests associated with her family. Disu is the daughter of Nigerian billionaire Mike Adenuga, whose fortune Forbes has estimated at about $7 billion. At 40, Bella Disu has also built a senior leadership portfolio that includes her position as a nonexecutive director of Julius Berger.

The recent strategy retreat suggests that Abumet’s focus is now extending beyond its recovery in recent years toward questions around scale, market reach, innovation and the long-term sustainability of the business. For Disu, the emphasis is on turning those discussions into decisions that can shape the company’s next phase.