The Abdul Samad Rabiu, Africa initiative (ASR Africa) recently held a stakeholder meeting on the future of its mentorship programme for young women in tertiary institutions in Africa.
The event which was held in New York on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW 70), brought together old and new mentors of the programme to engage in strategic conversations that will guide the next phase of the programme.
The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body focused on advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The MD/CEO of ASR Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh, said the event served as both a celebration and a strategic forum, bringing together mentors from across Africa and the diaspora to recognize their impact on mentees’ academic, personal, and professional journeys.
She said it also provided an opportunity to reflect on the outcomes of ASR Africa’s Mentorship Programme, which had supported mentees across multiple institutions over a three-year period, fostering growth, leadership development, and long-term career readiness.
Udoh expressed gratitude to the Mentors who had supported the programme since its inception.
She said that across ASR Africa’s developmental interventions, the mentorship programme stood out as the most impactful intervention because of its potential to create clarity and a smooth transition to professional life for young women.
The guest of honor and co-chair of the NGO CSW, New York- Pamela Morgan, praised ASR Africa for sustaining the mentorship programme.
Morgan who was at the inaugural meeting of the mentorship programme, during the UNCSW 67, mentioned that global leaders had realized that another powerful tool to women empowerment beyond education was mentorship.
She encouraged the mentors to keep giving their time and resources and to also gain from the stories of the young women that they mentor.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to the distinguished mentors in recognition of their dedication and influence. It also featured a strong reflection on the transformative role of mentorship in shaping mentees’ academic and career trajectories.
The ASR Africa Mentorship Programme is a structured capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen the personal and professional development of young Africans. Since its inception, over 200 mentees have been impacted through the Programme, with successful implementations in Nigeria, Zambia, and Senegal with upcoming programs in Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana and other African Countries.
The initiative underscores ASR Africa’s belief that sustained mentorship is essential to nurturing the next generation of leaders and in driving meaningful change across communities and institutions.