Sahara Group has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sustainable development and enhancing human capacity in Africa through its Making A Difference (MAD) Grant. The initiative focuses on advancing research by providing awards to visionary academics, with the goal of driving economic growth and development.
The 2025 grant cycle has awarded three transformative projects tackling youth unemployment, digital inclusion, and institutional governance. Each awardee will receive $12,000 in funding to scale their impactful work. The projects were selected based on their potential for systemic impact and scalability. The awardees, Professor Sunday Adebisi, Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, and Professor Abdul-Hameed Sulaimon, will leverage the funding to expand proven models that translate academic excellence into socioeconomic progress.
Professor Adebisi will scale his Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Certification (EIBIC) program, which has already guided over 20,000 students to identify and launch ventures within their fields. Dr. Odumuyiwa will amplify his work in digital skills mentorship and technology ecosystem building, having already trained over 20,000 individuals in fields like artificial intelligence. Professor Sulaimon’s grant will enhance his faculty administration re-engineering initiative, which has improved operational efficiency and academic performance.
The MAD Grant represents Sahara Group’s sustained commitment to identifying and amplifying sustainable solutions that drive economic growth and development. According to Bethel Obioma, Sahara Group’s Head of Corporate Communications, “This second edition allows us to deepen our support for academic innovators whose work has demonstrated clear potential for systemic impact.” The company plans to replicate the Grant support across Africa, partnering with additional universities and institutions to scale similar programs in entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and governance reform.
The expansion aims to create a continent-wide network of academic hubs driving sustainable development through education and innovation. The University of Lagos, where the inaugural edition of the MAD Grant was held in 2024, has commended Sahara Group for sustaining the initiative. Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, noted that the MAD Grant has been a catalytic force for innovation at the university.
The MAD Grant awardees will play a crucial role in driving sustainable development in Africa, and Sahara Group’s commitment to the initiative is a testament to the power of strategic partnership in advancing academic innovation and socioeconomic progress. With the expansion of the Grant across Africa, the company is poised to make a significant impact on the continent’s development trajectory.
