Billionaire businessman and founder of BUA Group, Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu, has provided a N1 billion infrastructure development grant to the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID).
Deputy Director, Information Unit, UNIMAID, Moh’d T. Ahmed, said in a statement that the grant was given through the Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR).
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Director, Government Relations, BUA Group and Coordinator ASR, Dr Idi Hong, disclosed the offer during a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aliyu Shugaba, on Wednesday, the statement said.
The grant is part of the ASR Africa Tertiary Education grant scheme meant for the construction of a state-of-the-art Centre for Innovation and Product Development in UNIMAID.
The identification of the centre for the grant by the university management is in line with the philosophy of the founder of BUA Group, which included self-employment and empowerment, Hong said.
Dr Hong said ASR Africa grants $100USD million annually for social development and renewal, focusing on education, health and social development out of which $50 million is expended in Nigeria while the remaining is for the rest of Africa.
ASR has given similar grants to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ibadan and the University of Benin, while the University of Ilorin and others will follow suit.
In his remarks, Professor Shugaba said the funding would improve social development and capacity building of innovation and entrepreneurial skill in the university.
He said the centre would further discourage dependence on the government for work and encourage self-employment/empowerment to the beneficiaries as well as add value to the university.
