BUA group gifts Babcock varsity N250m publishing house

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh, reiterated on Friday the commitment of BUA Group to coordinated efforts designed to advance the cause of humanity and make life more meaningful for people across Africa.

Udoh disclosed this during the groundbreaking ceremony of the N250m Integrated Publishing House donated to Babcock University, Ilishan Remo by ASR, Africa, the foundation owned by the billionaire industrialist and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu.

Represented by Nakama Keri, Multilateral Coordination Specialist, ASR, Africa, Udoh described the Chairman of BUA Group as someone who believes in impacting people’s lives, and this he has institutionalised with his foundation, ASR, Africa.

He said that ASR, Africa, spent $100m per year per annum in interventions in social development, health, and education and that while $50 million is committed to programmes within Nigeria, the balance of $50 million is used to execute programmes all over Africa.

He said, “Education is of particular importance and priority to Alhaji Abdul Samad. So, far, we’ve invested about $35 billion in education. We have built libraries in Ghana in rural areas; we are building hostels for female students in Niger; and we have committed a billion naira each to about six universities in 2021.

“And we’re also doing a tertiary education grant scheme, of which Babcock University is a beneficiary. About 100 tertiary institutions actually applied for this grant, out of which 22 institutions were picked after a rigorous assessment.

“Babcock University in this category won a N250 million grant for the ASR Integrated Publishing House, which we believe should be ready in about six months from now.”

Udoh said that the university got the approval for the grant because of the impact the publishing house will have not only on the lecturers and the students but also on the entire community and society at large.

Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ademola Tayo, said that the generous donation of the billionaire industrialist has suddenly made the university achieve its long-time vision of having an integrated publishing house.

The professor, while lauding the selfless disposition of Rabiu to the development of education across Africa, hailed the gift of the integrated publishing house for the university.

He said that the university press plays a crucial role as the intellectual heart of the academic community, fostering knowledge creation, dissemination, and academic discourse.

The VC said, “As we break ground today, we are not just laying the foundation for a building; we are laying the foundation for future generations of scholars, researchers, and thought leaders.

“This complex will serve as a beacon of knowledge and a hub of intellectual activity, contributing to the academic and cultural enrichment of our university and beyond.”

The VC has therefore called for further collaboration that could help to further strengthen the education sector in the country.

Director of Babcock University Press, Dr Sam Okere, described the gift of the Integrated Publishing House as a long-awaited dream becoming a reality.

Okere, an Associate Professor of Publishing and Media Studies, described an integrated publishing house as one one-stop shop for publishing, a resource centre that provides all that is needed to have a published work and get it to the end users.