The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), the philanthropic initiative of the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu (CFR, CON), has kicked off the construction of the N250 million Abdul Samad Rabiu Admin Block and a Conference Room with a groundbreaking ceremony held at the Al-Qalam University, Katsina State today within the institution’s premises.
It will be recalled that in 2022, ASR Africa announced the launch of its 2023 Tertiary Education Grant Scheme (TEGS) which covers 22 tertiary Institutions in Nigeria and the Al-Qalam University is one of the beneficiaries of the grant.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Nasiru Musa Yauri, commended the Chairman of ASR Africa and the BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu for finding their institution worthy of the grant.
He emphasized that the project, identified by the University, is one of its priority needs, as the University was set to launch its College of Allied Health Sciences for the 2023/2024 academic year, hence the need for a befitting infrastructure for the laudable purpose.
According to him, “Upon completion of this project, staff and students under the Bachelor’s Degree programmes in Nursing Science, Public Health, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Optometry, and Medical laboratory in the 2023/2024 academic year, will have lecture rooms and offices for their programs”. He thanked the ASR team for their timely intervention in the project.
In his response, Dr. Ubon Udoh, the Managing Director of ASR Africa mentioned that education is a priority area of intervention for ASR Africa and that the Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu and he is committed to supporting quality education within the tertiary education system in Nigeria and Africa at large.
He commended the management of the institution for their cooperation with the ASR Africa Infrastructure Team by providing prompt feedback and required documentation on the project to ensure its take-off. He assured them of a speedy completion of the project.
Dr. Udoh added that the institution must focus on the sustainability of this noble project, and ensure it serves the purpose for which it was designed for.
