2023 ABUAD’s anti-poverty programmes and Reviewed Plan

ABUAD’s Anti-Poverty Programmes

In 2023, ABUAD has continued to implement its Access and Participation (50 by 30) Plan, with the primary objective of achieving a minimum of 50 percent admission and completion rates for students from low-income households in the bottom 20% of the income bracket, defined as earning below N200,000 per year, by the year 2030. This initiative aims to enhance educational access and participation in an affordable way for the public.

Additionally, in 2023, ABUAD introduced a policy to provide financial support for all learners, including those from low-income households. Every student enrolled in the University across all programs will receive a bursary of one hundred thousand Naira (N100,000.00) for food.

Furthermore, an additional fifty thousand Naira has been allocated to all 8,423 students as an ancillary fee for health emergency insurance during the academic session. This measure is designed to alleviate the economic hardships currently affecting the country.

ABUAD Access and Participation Plan 2020 – 2030 Reviewed in 2023

ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION PLAN EVALUATION (INPUT AND OUTPUT)

The evaluation metrics used in ABUAD’s access monitoring framework reveal that approximately 25% of the university’s intake cohort in 2019 came from low-income families, defined as those earning below N200,000 per year. This percentage increased to 48.4% in 2020, reached 62% in 2021, and surged to 88% in 2022. However, in 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the currency, this figure skyrocketed to 100%. This dramatic increase underscores the urgent need for additional funding from the Afe Babalola Foundation, established by Chancellor Aare Afe Babalola SAN, to ensure affordable education for low-income households. As a result, all 8,423 students at the university benefitted from this initiative in 2023.

Additionally, Aare Afe Babalola provided £10 million as an endowment to King’s College, London, to promote transnational education and improve access to affordable education for African youth through a partnership between Afe Babalola University, Nigeria, and King’s College, London. In line with this commitment, the ABUAD Alumni Association is dedicated to providing financial aid to students facing significant financial challenges, as a way to give back to their alma mater and alleviate students’ financial hardships.

To further support the access and participation plan, which was reviewed in 2023, ABUAD continues to offer discounted tuition, bursaries, and scholarships across various programs, particularly for full-time, part-time, and open-distance learning students. This initiative aims to provide education to individuals from low-income and vulnerable backgrounds, especially those within the bottom 20% of the household income group. (ABUAD has introduced discounted part-time studies for youth https://punchng.com/abuad-begins-discounted-part-time-studies-for-youths/.)

After a thorough review of the Access and Participation Plan document in 2023, it has been noted that the evaluation metrics of ABUAD’s access and participation monitoring framework reveal significant changes in the socioeconomic background of our graduating students. In 2019, 29.9% of our graduates came from households with low incomes (below N200,000 per year). This percentage increased to 42.2% in 2020, then to 52.4% in 2021, and reached 68% in 2022. In 2023, this figure surged to 89% due to the economic challenges faced in the country. Fortunately, the Afe Babalola Foundation, established by our Founder, has provided financial support that helps alleviate poverty for these students, enabling them to complete their programs and graduate successfully.

In the 2023/2024 academic session, every student at the university will benefit from a food grant of N100,000.00. Additionally, all students will receive an emergency health insurance grant of N50,000.00 during this academic session. The ABUAD Alumni Association also contributes to alleviating financial hardships by offering financial aid to students from backgrounds of proven extreme poverty.

Good News: ABUAD Announces Discounted Fees in Part-Time Studies for Nigerian Youths https://www.abuad.edu.ng/good-news-abuad-announces-discounted-feesin-part-time-studies-for-nigerian-youths/

Below home link is the link to ABUAD Open & Distance Learning (ODL) Web Domain (https://odl.abuad.edu.ng/our-history/)