The Trump-Vance Transition Team has strongly defended Massad Boulos, a Nigeria-based businessman chosen by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs, dismissing criticism of his credentials as “fake news.”
Boulos, the managing director of SCOA Nigeria Plc and father-in-law to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, has faced scrutiny for his suitability for the role, with detractors labeling him a “truck salesman.” However, Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance Transition, issued a statement on Friday countering the allegations.
“The Fake News is falsely attacking Mr. Boulos and his family’s long history of running successful companies as part of their mission to derail President Trump’s agenda and exceptional team,” the statement said.
The Trump-Vance Transition described Boulos as a respected businessman who has led his family’s companies in West Africa for over 27 years. According to the statement, Boulos holds degrees in business and law and has helped oversee businesses under the Fadoul Group umbrella, which employs tens of thousands of people and has a valuation of over $1 billion.
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The statement highlighted SCOA Nigeria Plc as a key company within the Boulos family group, known for representing major global brands and delivering premium services in Nigeria. “SCOA is part of the Fadoul Group, one of the largest privately-owned family businesses in West and Central Africa, with a presence in 10 countries since its establishment in 1966,” the statement read.
The group was credited with significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy, including assembling Peugeot 404 and 504 pickup trucks in the 1970s and maintaining partnerships with top construction companies like Julius Berger and Lafarge Africa Plc.
A close Nigerian associate of Boulos, Magnus Onyibe, a former Delta State Commissioner for Information and non-executive director at SCOA Nigeria Plc, also weighed in on the controversy.
Onyibe dismissed the criticism as unfounded and praised Boulos’s extensive qualifications, saying, “SCOA Nigeria Plc, where Mr. Boulos serves as Managing Director/CEO, is far from being just another company. It is a formidable force in Nigeria’s industrial and economic landscape.”
He highlighted SCOA’s pivotal role in assembling and supplying heavy-duty equipment critical to sectors such as construction and mining. Notable clients include infrastructure leaders like Julius Berger, which utilizes SCOA equipment for major projects like the Abuja-Kano Highway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Reports suggest that Boulos played a key role in securing support for Trump’s campaign among Arab-American voters in battleground states, particularly Michigan, where dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s Middle East policies posed a challenge for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
Onyibe described the attacks on Boulos as dismissive of his impressive track record, stating that both the man and his companies have made substantial contributions to Nigeria’s development and beyond
