By MUSTAPHA YAURI

Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu has donated N1 billion to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, for the construction of additional students hostel and Department of Building in the university campus.

The Businessman made the donation through his Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa Initiative).

Rabiu, represented by Alhaji Aliyu Idi-Hong, said the donation was part of the foundation’s education-based intervention for 2021.

He disclosed that the foundation had earmarked $100 million annual fund for social development and renewal, which is expected to support various interventions in education, health and social development within Nigeria and Africa.

Rabiu explained that of the $100 million dollars annual grant, $50 million was set aside for Nigeria while $50 would be for the rest of Africa every year.

“Therefore, ASR, Africa Initiative is making the provision of a one billion grant each to ABU Zaria and five other universities one from each geopolitical zone of the country.

“The other five beneficiaries are University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Maiduguri, University of Ilorin, University of Ibadan and University of Benin.

“We intend to commence the project soon,” he said.

Rabiu said five universities could also quickly identify such projects with their team to fast-track the project initiation process.

He added that the grants were expected to go a long way in bridging the infrastructure deficit in education in Nigeria and other African countries.

In his remarks, Prof. Kabir Bala, Vice Chancellor, ABU, expressed appreciation for the donation.

Bala noted that ABU was one of the largest universities in Nigeria with over 60, 000 undergraduates and post graduate students.

“We are accommodating less than 30 percent of the students and that is grossly inadequate considering the security challenges in the region.

“We would like to accommodate all our students especially the undergraduates, that is what informed our decision,” he said.

He also noted that in the master plan the University, Faculty of Environmental Design would move to Phase 2, adding that the last five vice chancellors had attempted to do that in various ways.

He added that there were four buildings in the Environmental Design faculty, which had eight departments and university would want to continue with building the faculty and subsequently move to the new site.

“The next department we are building is the Department of Building,” the vice chancellor said. (NAN)

•PHOTO: Prof. Kabir Bala, Vice Chancellor ABU Zaria presenting the Plan for Department of Building Hostel Block and Site Plans to Alhaji Aliyu Idi Hong, representative of founder ASR Africa Foundation Abdul Samad Rabiu in Zaria

Update news