President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Abdul Samad Rabiu (ASR) International Centre for Innovations and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to a release from Bua Group, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President at the inauguration ceremony on Saturday.
The N1bn facility, equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, underscored ASR Africa’s dedication to driving positive change on the University of Maiduguri campus in Borno, the statement noted.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude for Rabiu’s significant contribution, emphasising its philanthropic essence as a “service to humanity”.
He noted that the centre was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Tinubu administration for the rapid resuscitation and prosperity of the economy.
“On behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who is a visitor to this university, I hereby commission this centre.
“The centre is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Tinubu administration for the rapid resuscitation and prosperity of the economy,” he said.
The ASR International Centre, which was established in April 2021, boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including a 150-seat auditorium, artisans and handcraft spaces, fabrication machine laboratory, training zones, a coding and app development laboratory, robotics, drones, and mechatronics facilities, and incubation spaces.
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Aliyu Shugaba, expressed optimism about the centre’s impact on creating a thriving innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Shugaba highlighted the centre’s potential to provide a platform for individuals and stakeholders to launch and grow new ventures, and creating a social and economic impact.
“However, despite the three months of training provided in entrepreneurship and over 70,000 students exposed to it, the objective of creating enterprises by the students at graduation has not been realised.
“The new centre is expected to remedy the situation. It is expected to foster a thriving innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem that encourages creativity, collaboration, and experimentation.
“It will provide a platform for individuals and other stakeholders to launch and grow new ventures, creating a social and economic impact in the process. In the future products of the Centre will be capable of creating enterprises for self-employment,” he said.
