Future Doctors Get Major Boost as ASR Africa Launches Health Innovation Series

The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) has launched a Health Innovation Series at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to prepare medical students for emerging healthcare challenges and strengthen their professional development.

The pilot programme targets 30 medical students completing their Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degrees, with a focus on clinical preparedness, leadership, innovation and global exposure.

The initiative is designed to equip young doctors with practical knowledge, expose them to emerging medical technologies and help them make informed career decisions while contributing to stronger healthcare systems across Africa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIMAID, Prof. Mohammed Mele, represented by the Director-General of the ASR Africa Innovation Centre and Entrepreneurship, Prof. Muhammad Dauda, commended ASR Africa Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, for donating the centre’s building to the university.

He said the donation had attracted other partnerships, making the centre functional and beneficial to the university community.
“This health innovation series is an added value to the university from ASR Africa.

Therefore, the medical students must reflect and ensure that the benefits of the series are harnessed for the betterment of your medical career and positive impact on the lives of your patients,” he said.

The ASR Africa Multilateral Coordination Specialist, Nakama Keri, who represented the organisation’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ubon Udoh, attributed the successful launch to the partnership between the initiative and the university.

He said the programme was designed to help graduating medical students overcome early-career limitations and connect with developments in medical technology.

“This series is engineered to help outgoing medical students leapfrog past limitations hindering health practitioners from reaching their full potential early, and connect them with current medical technological realities,” Keri said.

He added that strengthening healthcare through innovative approaches remained central to ASR Africa’s health initiatives and Rabiu’s vision.

The Acting Chief Medical Director of the UNIMAID Teaching Hospital, Dr. Mohammed Aboso, described the programme as a strategic investment in human capital development.

“I believe that this series will be a catalyst towards raising a new generation of medical professionals, who are better exposed, informed, and prepared,” he said.

Also speaking, the Borno State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Prof. Baba Malla Gana, who represented the state governor, urged the participating students to remain in Borno after graduation and contribute to improving access to healthcare.

He described the initiative as a potential game-changer in their medical careers.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Adamu Rabasa, a pioneer medical graduate of UNIMAID in 1983 and a professor of paediatrics at the institution, urged the students to embrace resilience, determination and professional excellence.

Drawing from his medical career and entrepreneurial experience, Rabasa encouraged them to maximise the benefits of modern medical technology and adopt innovative approaches to healthcare delivery.

ASR Africa, established in 2021 by Rabiu, chairman of BUA Future Doctors Get Major Boost as ASR Africa Launches Health Innovation Series focuses on providing sustainable, homegrown solutions to developmental challenges in health, education and social development across Africa.