Caption: From left, Arc. Oniovoefe Ekuerhare, Director, Physical Planning and Development; Prof. Doris F. Ogeleka, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration; Dr. (Mrs.) E. Jane Omoyine, Registrar; Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, Vice Chancellor; Dr. Ubon Ubon, Managing Director/Chief Executive, ASR Africa; Prof. Godswill Ofualagba, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic/Bursar; and Garba Yau Nabayi, flagging-off construction of Abdul Samad Rabiu Centre for Corrosion Research at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta State on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), on Thursday started construction work at the Abdul Samad Rabiu Centre for Corrosion Research at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta State.
The centre is being constructed with a N250m grant to the university as part of ASR Africa’s Tertiary Education Grants Scheme (TEGS) in support of, and improvement in the quality of education services higher institutions across the country.
ASR Africa, the brainchild of African Industrialist, Philanthropist, and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, was founded in 2021 and has been providing sustainable impact-based, homegrown solutions to developmental issues affecting healthcare, education, and social development within the continent.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Dr Ubon Udoh, Managing Director/Chief Executive of ASR Africa, reiterated the commitment of the organisation’s Chairman, as well as the BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, to giving back to the African continent and making a lasting impact in the education sector. The selection of the university to benefit from the grant, he noted, is in recognition of the quality of educational services it provides, and its notable contributions to research and development in the oil and gas sector.
The Vice-chancellor of the institution, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, extended his deepest gratitude on behalf of the University to the Chairman of ASR Africa and BUA Group for the generous grant of N250m towards establishing the Abdul Samad Rabiu Centre for Corrosion Research.
The centre, he believes, will empower researchers with technology for preventing corrosion, strengthen oil and gas industry practices, and provide cutting-edge training opportunities for students, stressing that the centre will contribute to local and international industries, positioning Nigeria as a leader in addressing global corrosion challenges.
ASR Africa’s investment, he continued, “represents a remarkable commitment to advancing scientific research, supporting technological innovation, and addressing critical challenges within the oil and gas sector”. He thanked ASR Africa and its chairman for believing in the institution’s vision and its unwavering support in driving sustainable development.”
