Philanthropist and Nigerian billionaire businessman, Abdul Samad Rabiu has launched the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative, with an Africa Fund endowment of USD100million every year starting from this year, 2021.
The initiative, which comprise $50million to Nigeria and $50million to the rest of Africa, aims at providing support for Nigerians and Africans in the areas of infrastructure and capacity development and supporting the efforts of various governments in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In a statement sent to LEADERSHIP yesterday, Rabiu said, ‘‘It is with the blessings of the Almighty, my family, colleagues, the support of my community and the backing of my conscience, that I announce the launch of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative, with an Africa Fund endowment of USD100million every year starting from this year, 2021; USD$50million to Nigeria and USD$50million to the rest of our beloved continent.
‘‘Over the years as a corporate, and through the BUA Foundation, we have 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 Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative and its annual USD$100million Africa Fund for Social Development, we are specifically extending this work to the Education, Health and Social Development sectors, starting with infrastructure and capacity development in these areas and supporting the efforts of various governments in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan 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.
Source: Leadership (Published on 24 March, 2021)
Financing for Development in Africa 