By Adedapo Adesanya
BUA Group has donated N200 million to the Sokoto State University for the construction of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) faculty building in the state-owned conventional degree awarding institution.
The donation was announced by the founder and chairman of the group, Mr Abdul Rabiu, during the university’s 2021 convocation ceremony held on Saturday, March 13.
The gesture is to support the institution’s quest towards becoming one of Nigeria’s leading universities, especially in the advancement of talents in the ICT speciality.
Stressing the relevance of the donation, the foremost industrialist and philanthropist explained that Sokoto State is host to three of BUA Cement’s factories and over the years, the state had played a huge role in the growth and success of the company.
He added that it had become critically important that BUA supports the development of talent in future-proof industries for the north-western state such as ICT, research, and education.
Speaking in response to the donation, the Sokoto state Governor, Mr Aminu Tambuwal expressed gratitude to the chairman of the leading foods and infrastructure conglomerate, for his kind gesture and commitment towards philanthropy in the state and country in general.
The governor also commended BUA’s commitment towards the socio-economic development of the state and urged other companies in the country to emulate its contributions.
He added that the state would continue to create an enabling environment for businesses like BUA to thrive and enjoined other industries to invest in the state.
“BUA has built an endearing partnership with the people and government of the state; from creating employment opportunities to creating social impact projects, and this donation is very much in line with that,” he said.
During the convocation ceremony, Nuhu Sanusi, the emir of Dutse, and the late Umaru Shinkafi, one-time federal commissioner of Internal Affairs, were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees for their contributions towards the development of Sokoto State and Nigeria in various fields.