Haske’s AA&R expands interests in oil, agriculture, logistics
by Adeola Balogun · The Eagle OnlineAbdullahi Bashir-Haske has built a business profile that straddles two of Nigeria’s most consequential economic sectors in hydrocarbons and food production. As founder and group managing director of AA&R Investment Group, he oversees interests spanning oil and gas, agriculture, aviation, marine services, logistics and information and communications technology.
His public identity is closely associated with Etihad Oilfield Services, an indigenous drilling and oilfield-services company linked to exploration activity in the Kolmani River area of Bauchi and Gombe states.
The company has been credited in several accounts with participation in the hydrocarbon discovery in the Gongola Basin. This development was particularly significant because it extended commercial exploration beyond Nigeria’s traditional Niger Delta corridor.
Yet Haske’s agribusiness investments may prove equally consequential. Through Manomi Support Services Limited and H&W Rice Company Limited, his group has invested in large-scale paddy cultivation, milling and food processing. These businesses operate in a sector where Nigeria continues to import substantial volumes of rice despite possessing the land, labour and market size required to expand domestic output.
From contracting to conglomerate
Haske was born in Yola, Adamawa State, on December 13, 1987. According to his profile on AA&R’s website, he started his business career in 2005 as a general contractor, serving private and public-sector clients before moving into commodity trading and, subsequently, larger industrial investments.
He holds a diploma in political science from the University of Abuja and has undertaken business and professional development programmes in Nigeria and abroad. His career reflects a broader pattern in Nigeria’s private sector, where entrepreneurs have used contracting, trading and services as entry points before building diversified holding companies.
AA&R Investment Group presents itself as a long-term investor rather than a single-sector operator. Its stated strategy emphasises scalable investments, calculated diversification, sustainability and socio-economic returns. The group identifies Haske & Williams Limited, Etihad Trading Limited, Etihad Energy Limited and Etihad Oilfield Services Limited among its subsidiaries.
Its portfolio also includes Mars Exploration and Production Limited, an indigenous exploration and production company, and Mars Aviation. Other reported interests include Nitro Switch Limited, an energy and technology-focused business. Taken together, these companies position Haske among a generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs seeking to build integrated groups across energy, agriculture and logistics.
Oil beyond the Delta
Haske’s most prominent energy investment is Etihad Oilfield Services, which has been described as a turnkey drilling company involved in exploration campaigns in northern Nigeria. Its association with the Kolmani River discovery gave the company visibility at a time when Nigeria was seeking to broaden its hydrocarbon frontier.
The Kolmani discovery, located around Bauchi and Gombe states, was significant because it demonstrated that commercially viable hydrocarbon resources could be found outside the Niger Delta. For an indigenous company, participation in the project also strengthened the case for greater Nigerian participation in upstream exploration and drilling services.
Haske has also been reported to hold interests in several oil mining leases, including OML 123, OML 124, OML 126 and OML 137. Some accounts also link AA&R to OML 148, an onshore block in the Niger Delta. Such claims require careful treatment because ownership structures in Nigeria’s upstream sector can change through acquisitions, farm-outs, joint ventures and regulatory approvals.
His energy business extends across the value chain. His group has interests in exploration and production through Mars E&P, drilling and oilfield services through Etihad, and trading and energy distribution through other subsidiaries.
This integrated approach mirrors the strategy of larger Nigerian energy groups seeking to capture value across upstream, midstream and downstream operations.
Rice and the food-security case
Haske’s agricultural investments are anchored in Manomi Support Services Limited, described as a community-based agricultural production outfit, according to a statement by the organisation. The firm reportedly manages about 15,000 hectares of farmland across several Nigerian states and employs more than 2,000 people.
Its sister company, H&W Rice Company Limited, operates as an integrated rice miller. Multiple profiles describe it as one of the largest rice mills in northern Nigeria, with an annual paddy production capacity of about 48,000 tonnes.
Nigeria’s rice market remains one of Africa’s largest. Domestic demand is estimated at more than seven million tonnes annually. In comparison, local production has been put at about 3.5 million tonnes, leaving a substantial gap historically filled through imports and, in some cases, smuggling. That gap explains why private investment in paddy cultivation, irrigation, storage and milling carries both commercial and policy significance. Nigeria has repeatedly sought to reduce rice imports through border restrictions, intervention schemes and agricultural credit programmes. Yet the sector still faces structural constraints, including high input costs, limited mechanisation, inadequate storage, and weak processing capacity.
Haske’s proposed 5,000-hectare irrigated and mechanised paddy cultivation estate in Demsa, Adamawa State, is therefore more than a land acquisition. It represents an attempt to integrate cultivation with processing and to build a supply chain capable of feeding a large milling operation.
In Demsa, Haske and Williams Limited acquired 5,000 hectares of land for an integrated rice production project. The development lease agreement for the paddy cultivation component was signed between the Batta Traditional Council of Demsa and Manomi Support Services Limited, a subsidiary of Haske and Williams Limited.
Haske described the agreement as a critical milestone for the planned irrigated and mechanised estate, which he characterised as the first private-sector-led initiative of its kind in northeastern Nigeria.
The project’s importance lies in its potential to link cultivation directly to milling. If implemented successfully, it could reduce dependence on scattered smallholder supply, improve paddy quality, and create a more predictable feedstock base for H&W Rice. It could also generate seasonal and permanent employment in a region where agriculture remains a major source of livelihood.
However, large-scale agricultural projects in Nigeria often face execution risks. Land access, community consent, irrigation infrastructure, security, financing costs and climate variability will determine whether the estate becomes a viable commercial operation. The project will therefore be judged not by the size of its landholding but by its ability to deliver consistent yields, processing capacity and market-ready rice.
Recognition and public scrutiny
Haske has received recognition for his business and social contributions. He was honoured at the 2022 Northern Nigeria Peace Awards. He was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
He also holds the traditional title of Ciroma-Ganye of Adamawa, an honour linked to his business and social impact in his home state. Such titles often carry local influence and can help entrepreneurs build relationships with communities, traditional institutions and political stakeholders.
Haske’s rise has occurred in sectors where government policy, regulation and public procurement play an outsized role. Oil licensing, drilling contracts, agricultural financing and import policy can all shape the fortunes of private investors. That makes transparency, compliance and stakeholder engagement central to the credibility of any large Nigerian conglomerate.
The investment logic
Haske’s business model reflects a deliberate attempt to combine Nigeria’s two most strategic resource bases: hydrocarbons and agriculture. Oil and gas offer high-value, capital-intensive opportunities, while rice provides scale, recurring demand and a route into food security.
The strategy aligns with Nigeria’s broader economic priorities. The country needs foreign exchange, domestic production and employment. Oil and gas can generate export earnings and industrial feedstock, while agriculture can reduce import dependence and create rural jobs. A group with credible operations in both sectors is positioned to benefit from policies supporting local content, food security and economic diversification.
But the model is demanding. Energy projects require capital, technical capacity, regulatory approvals and long investment horizons. Agriculture requires land governance, logistics, processing capacity and access to finance. Running both successfully demands management depth, strong corporate governance and resilience to sector-specific shocks.
For AA&R, the immediate test is execution. In oil and gas, attention will focus on whether its upstream interests and drilling capabilities translate into sustained production, revenue and regulatory compliance. In agriculture, the test is whether the Demsa estate and H&W Rice can expand domestic paddy supply and improve milling throughput. Haske’s story is less about a single discovery or a single rice mill. It is about whether a Nigerian entrepreneur can build institutions capable of operating at scale in sectors where the country’s economic future depends heavily on local capacity.
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