The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), on Thursday, continued its project initiation consultations with a N1bn grant to Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan, as part of its ASR Africa Tertiary Education Grants Scheme, as part of its ASR Africa Tertiary Education Grants Scheme.

Core areas of the initiative’s intervention are: Education, Health and Social Development in Africa focuses mainly on equipping facilities, researchers, healthcare practitioners and community-level service providers and also supporting the efforts of various Governments in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Presenting the grant to the university’s management, barely a month after the initiative donated same amount to the Ahmadu Bello University towards the provision of student housing and a faculty building, Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu restated a commitment to US$100mm annually intervention in Nigeria and Africa. Of this amount, US$50m each is earmarked for Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

As part of the initiative’s Tertiary Education Grants Scheme, N1n each has been allocated to 6 universities across Nigeria.

According to the chairman, who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, “subsequently, more interventions will be done in the areas of health and social development.”

Responding, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adebola Ekanola appreciated Abdul Samad Rabiu and ASR Africa for the gesture, which he described as “an important intervention for the University of Ibadan.

“It will meet some of our most pressing needs which will also impact on our capacity to achieve the core objectives of the University of Ibadan.

“We believe that these projects we are proposing for the grant sponsorship will empower the University of Ibadan to be more efficient and effective in teaching, research and community services. It will also empower us to train our students in ways that would make them to be globally competitive.

“This initiative will go a long way in revamping our educational sector in Nigeria with specific reference to the university system in the country,” he stressed.

Photo Caption: Representative of ASR Africa, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong (right), receiving a Project initiation process document from Prof. Adebola Ekanola, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan at the university at the presentation of ASR Africa Initiative’s N1bn Tertiary Education Grant on Thursday.