What Is “ASR Africa” Doing Differently?

I have closely followed the activities of ASR Africa in recent times, and I concluded that there is something different about the organisation. Its activities extend beyond putting smiles on people’s faces. A smile is only a facial expression. It is an expression of pleasure. It doesn’t seem the organisation is only out to put smiles on people’s faces. I have tried to understand its style. The more I tried, the deeper I got into the world of an organisation that has done things untraditionally. Pledging to support the government’s ongoing efforts to bridge the development divide in Nigeria, and by extension, the African continent, is a daring move. It is more than a philanthropy. Or what do we think?

$100 million is small but mighty

To vote $100 million annually for its operations is a bold statement. The journey of ASR Africa began in 2021. It is the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative, and known operationally as ASR Africa. It professes “a deep-rooted commitment to fostering substantial progress across the African continent through focused investments in education, health, and social development.” According to its founder, Abdul Samad Rabiu,

ASR Africa is about “systemic and sustainable impact rather than temporary fixes to redefine how a system operates, thinks, or delivers value, to break existing norms and create new patterns of value creation.” This statement must have emanated from a deep place in the heart of the founder. Committing a humongous N150 Billion for interventions in “education, health and social development” across the continent is no “bean cakes,” to anglicise a saying in popular Nigerian parlance. This essay will attempt to explore the raison d’etre for the organisation’s resolve to do things differently.

A selective and deliberate regime

ASR Africa operates a selective regime that produces deliberate results, which registers its presence instantly. For example, Adamawa State University, Mubi, is the recipient of a 500-capacity lecture hall. ASR constructed a modern sports complex for the University of Jos. The University of Maiduguri was gifted a Centre for Innovation and Production Development. The same goes for the Federal University of Technology, Minna, which got a modern student hostel. Al-Qalam University, Katsina, was blessed with an administrative block. Imagine this lineup: a lecture hall, sports complex, research centre, student hostel and administrative building. Isn’t this a typical university setting? Would it be safe to say ASR Africa has built a university? Yes, it picked components of the infrastructure of a model university and established one unconventionally.
Its activities are not limited to Nigeria. In Ghana, seven community libraries were constructed for the Rebecca Foundation Ghana, with several model primary schools at various stages of completion. In the Republic of Niger, ASR Africa is constructing girls’ boarding facilities in secondary schools across seven districts.

DOTS centres

Why is ASR Africa interested in addressing the challenges posed by tuberculosis in parts of Nigeria? That the organisation intervened in addressing a public health concern has been of interest to me. It renovated 10 Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) centres in select primary healthcare facilities across seven states. The DOTS centres are equipped with machines and offer life-saving services for TB screening and treatment. I gathered that afterwards, ASR Africa was recognised by the National Tuberculosis Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Program for its contributions towards Tuberculosis control in the country. This is instructive.

The N10 billion security intervention grant

ASR Africa is arguably the largest private contributor to security agencies in Nigeria. Under its N10 billion security intervention grant, it donated operational vehicles to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. (NDLEA). This is one initiative that goes beyond just vehicles; the question is: Why the NDLEA and not all the security agencies? This is worth interrogating. ASR constructed and equipped a reference hospital for the Nigerian Police Force to attend to the medical needs of its officers and men. It is also constructing a Cyber Security Centre for the Department of State Services (DSS). The Nigerian Customs Service is also on the list with a medical centre in Bauchi State. ASR is also constructing four blocks of 30 units of 2-bedroom “Corporal and Below Quarters” for the Nigerian Army at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja. These are very bullish enterprises in the security sector. Security is big business.

It is an all-female affair.

ASR Africa is no doubt an interesting organisation. It runs a mentorship programme targeted at young women in their final year in tertiary institutions. Its objective is to “unlock the potential of young women in career, entrepreneurship, and personal development in Africa. Why young women? Is this strategic? Since 2023, 200 young women have benefited from this initiative. The beneficiaries are not Nigerians alone. Zambians and Senegalese are also among the recipients. The mentors are also female high-flyers who have distinguished themselves in various fields.
In the words of Dr Ubon Udoh, the MD/CEO of ASR Africa, “The ASR Africa Mentorship programme is not just a programme; it is a catalyst for change, a beacon of hope, and a testament to what is possible when determination meets opportunity.” You can sound this way only in the “Champions League” where the stakes are high and only for highflyers. There have been scholarly debates around some of the challenges young women face in their career trajectories. One of the arguments is limited access to mentorship.

Professional isolation

This is profound, and I agree. It is a case of professional isolation, when individuals lack access to guidance and develop decreased motivation, limited career progression, and reduced job satisfaction. The ASR Africa Mentorship Programme addresses this concern. It is an overriding public interest initiative that addresses a critical issue that has elicited global attention. Women bring diverse perspectives to issues, and they should not be restricted to traditional roles. In my opinion, this is the essence of the ASR Africa Mentorship Programme, and why it is targeted at young women in their final year in tertiary institutions. Imagine a regime for young women in their final year in school, mentored by female high-flyers in society.

I can imagine its impact if it were a national policy.

I suspect the ASR Africa strategy is hinged on the “Theory of Change” that explains “how and why a specific programme or intervention is expected to create desired change.” The “Theory of Change” is intentional. It relies more on purpose than assumptions. This is what ASR Africa has done differently. It is impact-philanthropy according to its own rules and standards. This might be worth emulating.

– Ocheja, PhD, is a military historian and an alumnus of the Nigerian Defence Academy