NIGERIA – The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) has provided a N1 billion (US$2.45m) grant to the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) towards the development of a Centre for Innovation and Product Development at the institution’s Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (UM-CEED) Complex.
The intervention was ASR Africa’s first cohort of Tertiary Education Grants Scheme.
According to a statement, that the announcement was made during the presentation of the grant award by ASR Africa to the University management in Maiduguri.
Speaking at the presentation, Aliyu Idi Hong, who represented the Chairman of ASR Africa and BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, said the ASR Africa Initiative had already begun the disbursement of its tertiary education grants to the six universities in its first cohort with the University of Maiduguri being the third to benefit after Ahmadu Bello University, and University of Ibadan.
He further disclosed that the project initiation process and development of mutual accountability frameworks to guide the grant usage for the University’s Centre for Innovation and Product Development would commence immediately.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Aliyu Shugaba praised the Founder of the Initiative, Rabiu, for his consistent commitment to social good and philanthropy.
The Vice-Chancellor also extolled the good works ASR Africa was doing in various communities across Africa and thanked the philanthropist for the grant. He furthermore reassured the representatives that the University Management, Staff and Students will be forever grateful to ASR Africa for this gesture.
In April 202, Abdul Samad Rabiu, founder of BUA Group, donated the sum of N1 billion (US$2.45m) to the University of Ibadan in Oyo state, through the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa).
The donation, which is part of the ASR Africa’s tertiary education grants scheme, came weeks after a similar donation was made to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna state, for the provision of accommodation facilities for students and a faculty building in the institution.
In a statement on Rabiu, chairman of ASR Africa who was represented by Aliyu Idi Hong, said six universities across Nigeria will benefit from the funds, as part of efforts to contribute towards improving research that will engender sustainable development.
The ASR Africa initiative, which focuses on education, health and social development in Africa, is geared towards “equipping facilities, researchers, healthcare practitioners and community-level service providers, and also supporting the efforts of various governments in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa”.
