ASR Africa: Promoting Sustainable Development

Obinna Chima writes on the interventions of the ASR Africa, a brainchild of Abdul Samad Rabiu, in critical sectors in Africa

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. The targets set up in 2015, by the United Nations General Assembly (UN-GA) and are intended to be achieved by 2030, recognise that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.

“We need to turn the recovery into a real opportunity to do things right for the future,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres, had said, considering the threat the COVID-19 continues to pose to the world.

“The pandemic is an unprecedented wake-up call, laying bare deep inequalities and exposing precisely the failures that are addressed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change,” the UN had stated.

Leveraging this moment of crisis to support countries in continent achieve the SDG targets, the Founder/Chairman of the BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, earlier this year launched a $100 million Annual Africa Fund for Social Development and Renewal

The Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa) is an endowment fund that would every year, starting from this year 2021 be committing $50 million to Nigeria and $50 million to the rest of the continent.

Over the years as a corporate, and through the BUA Foundation, his company had been actively involved in corporate philanthropy in various sectors – from health, education, community development, water & sanitation, sports, and even more recently, our work on COVID-19.

However, with the ASR Africa, Rabiu is extending his philanthropy to education, health and social development sectors, starting with infrastructure and capacity development and supporting the efforts of various governments in Nigeria and Africa.

“Our broad focus is equipping facilities, our researchers, healthcare practitioners and community-level service providers, with the aim of providing sustainable solutions for generations to come. They say life begins at 50; what they never tell you is that a pandemic can change your life at 60.

“In that year 2020, when I turned 60, at least two million others turned into memories, taken by this deadly virus. I watched millions become numbers in a global death toll and ancestors in the world beyond. The same pandemic that forced us humans to slow down, now forces our humaneness to square up. The plans I once took time to construct, now take up all my time.

“The challenges are manifold in various areas of our lives, from education, on to healthcare, and throughout social development.

“Therefore, based on the results of extensive deliberation over the course of a year, our first cohort for Nigeria will be N1 billion each in grants to six universities in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, towards the initiation and upgrading of infrastructure, where applicable. The universities in the first phase include Ahmadu Bello University, University of Maiduguri, University of Nigeria, University of Benin, University of Ilorin, and University of Ibadan. These grants will be directed towards projects that will be delivered by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative for the project duration,” the BUA founder had explained during the unveiling of the initiative.

He had pledged that for accountability, the ASR Africa would present annual reports, with all activities overseen by a sterling board of trustees.

Rabiu also urged beneficiaries, end-users as well as custodians of the projects to hold the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative to account; contact, commend, recommend or register their complaint.

ASR Africa Interventions

The ASR Africa began its disbursement at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where it provided a grant of N1 billion to the institution. The grant was for the provision of a hostel and department building as identified by the university.

Rabiu, who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, expressed optimism that the intervention would go a long way in bridging the infrastructure deficit in education within Nigeria and other African Countries in our cohort.

“We are excited about the endless possibilities that lie ahead of Africa and because The Time for Nigeria and Africa is now, and business development is nothing without citizens’ development.” “On behalf of the ASR Africa Initiative, we look forward to commencing the work to build for the benefit of Africa’s children and her future,” Rabiu said at the ABU.

At the University of Ibadan, where it also donated N1 billion as part of its Tertiary Education Grant Scheme, was also meant for the provision of students’ housing and a faculty building.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Adebola Ekanola noted that the intervention would help meet some of the institution’s pressing needs which would also impact on its capacity to achieve the core objectives.

“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 added.

The University of Maiduguri was the third educational institution to benefit from the N1 billion Tertiary Education Grants Scheme and it was meant for the development of a Centre for Innovation and Product Development at the UNIMAID Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (UM-CEED) Complex.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba praised the founder of the initiative for his consistent commitment to social good and philanthropy and extolled the good works ASR Africa was doing in various communities across Africa.

At the University of Ilorin which also benefited from the N1 billion educational infrastructure grant as part of the Tertiary Education Grants Scheme, the fund was to develop a state-of-the-art learning facility. Also, the ASR Africa and Kwara State government jointly announced the construction of the largest oncology and diagnostic centre in West Africa to be built with a N2.5 billion grant.

Speaking at the presentation of the grant and visit to the proposed site, Kabiru Rabiu, Group Executive Director of BUA Group, who represented the Chairman said the project aligns with the vision of the ASR Africa Initiative.

The ASR Africa Oncology and Diagnosis Centre is a standalone facility dedicated to Oncology diagnosis, research and treatment, and this would go a long way in bridging the gap in cancer research, diagnosis and treatment in West Africa.

In his response, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara described the oncology and diagnosis centre as a legacy project that would last beyond all, saying for years to come it would be a priority project which would anchor the state’s health care system.

Also, the University of Benin benefitted from the N1 billion Tertiary Education Grants Scheme. Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Lilian Salami, said the fund would enable the university meet some of its pressing development needs which will positively impact the quality of education being delivered at the university. She further added that the school was looking to develop a University of Benin/ASR Africa ICT Centre with the grant.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Anambra also benefitted from the N1 billion Tertiary Education Infrastructure Grant for the construction of a student complex in the institution.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Charles Esimone, said the institution had proposed to build a multipurpose student center which would house the SUG complex, indoor facilities for students, acting theatre for students and other facilities.

In Akwa Ibom State, the ASR Africa provided a N5 billion grant to the state government targeted at healthcare and social development. This grant award letter which was presented to the state governor, Udom Emmanuel in Uyo, was also to support the construction of Akwa Ibom Teaching Hospital.

Speaking at the presentation, Kabiru Rabiu, who representing the Chairman of ASR Africa and BUA Group, had said the ASR Africa had approved the immediate and initial disbursement of N2.5billion from the total sum to a jointly managed fund guaranteeing the commencement of the programme.

In his remarks, Udom praised the Founder of the Initiative, Abdul Samad Rabiu for his consistent commitment to social good and philanthropy. He also added that the projects to be funded by the grant would be jointly approved and implemented in line with the ASR Africa Grants Utilisation Framework. Furthermore, Udom said the state would continue to do more to boost social development and improve the healthcare infrastructure for its citizens considering the great strides have already been made.

On his part, Managing Director of ASR Africa, Ubon Udoh, stressed that the purpose of the initiative was to give back to the society.

In Ogun State, it also donated three brand new fully equipped Ambulances to the state government.

Furthermore, the ASR Africa expanded its 2021 programme with a N10 billion grant towards healthcare interventions in four states – Ogun, Sokoto, Kwara and Edo States.

Udoh explained that the expanded grant was for healthcare interventions from maternal and child health to health infrastructure, capacity development, amongst others.

“We will develop mutual accountability frameworks with the state implementation teams after which fifty percent of the grant will be disbursed immediately to commence implementation of the projects. The remaining 50 per cent percent will be released in line with agreed delivery milestones” Ubon added.

In keeping with its promise to support other African countries, ASR Africa also donated $3 million to Ghana as well as $500,000 to the Rebecca Foundation in Ghana. It is also constructing a neonatal unit at the Gwarinpa General Hospital; constructing the Sokoto State University College of Medical Sciences with N2.5 billion; recently handed over a newly built 150-bed, N4 billion hospital to Nigeria Police in Abuja and donated three ambulances to Ekiti State, to bolster healthcare in the state.

Conclusion

Why the ASR Africa is doing its best to promote sustainable development in critical sectors in Nigeria and Africa, the continent still requires a lot more intervention. Therefore, there is need for other private sector investors to also intervene to create a better and more just world for future generations.