The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) Mentorship Program was created to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields but has since expanded into a holistic platform that nurtures both personal and professional growth. Conceived by visionary women during the UN CSW 67 in New York and launched in partnership with ASR Africa, the program began at an all-female college in Gusau, Zamfara State. It provides young women, particularly final-year tertiary students, with mentorship opportunities designed to unlock their potential in career, entrepreneurship, and personal development.

Structured over a three-month period, the program engages 30 to 50 beneficiaries at a time through interactive sessions with mentors. Each session lasts three hours and includes breakout discussions where mentees ask questions and learn from the lived experiences of their mentors. Since May 2023, about 500 young women from Nigeria, Zambia, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire have benefited from this initiative, with participants gaining skills, confidence, and clarity that extend well beyond the classroom. The program has also introduced technological innovations, such as live streaming, to ensure accessibility even in remote areas.

The impact has been remarkable, leading to improved self-awareness, public speaking, and overall empowerment of participants. Favour Bitrus (from FCET Gusau, Zamfara state, Nigeria) carries the programme’s lessons directly into her own classroom as a teacher. Khadija Jibril from Al-Qalam university, katsina, credits the program with bringing clarity and a sense of direction that had started to blur. At the University of Zambia, Liya Ng’andwe and Thandiwe Phiri describe being mentored by experienced professionals as a privilege they hope to pay forward and learning to treat failure as part of the process rather than a reason to stop.