May 2018

The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve www.thesparkng.com www.thesparkng.com The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve
Tosin Ashafa
On a Social Mission
“
The government of Nigeria
budgeted - By Lanre Solarin 7% for education
in the last national budget
which is way smaller than the
recommended 26% by United
Nations.
“
Tosin Ashafa is an investor, entrepreneur and a philanthropist. He is the Managing Director
/ Chief Executive Officer of Cantagali Limited and Rio Construction, two companies with
complementary capabilities in civil construction, real estate development, property
marketing and facility management. He is also affiliated with other companies in various
roles and capacities such as managing partner, advisor and director. These companies include
Trequity Capital, Macaulay & Cole, Muster.NG, Lidya and Africa Courier Express.
Tosin is deeply invested in philanthropy and grassroots social activism which is demonstrated
by his endowment of the BTA Education Fund through which school children are financially
enabled to achieve their pursuit of education. He deliberately seeks to create opportunities and
expand the capacity of young people to take an early interest in politics and leadership roles
in their communities.
In this interview, Tosin reveals his drive, beliefs and hope for the future.
The Birth of a Social Mission
Living in Nigeria has made me understand and appreciate the resilience of low-income people
and the daily struggle that characterizes life in developing countries. I have seen first-hand
how people can live around abundance and wallow in squalor. I am quick to recognize this
and remain humble because the essence of privilege is to make us aware of the personal
responsibility we have towards alleviating the suffering of others.
I am guided in my life’s journey by the philosophy of empathy. Having traversed extensively in
the field of entrepreneurship, business and democracy development, I have become enthusiastic
about using mechanisms, systems and processes put in place by capitalists and politicians to
redefine what it means to be committed to the good of others and the world.
I have always been passionate about people and the prevalent social disparity in our society has
always been in my consciousness. As I grew older, I could only think about how best to address
this disparity. Education seamlessly occurred to me as the right solution.
Upon my return to Nigeria in 2006 after my education in the US, I took it upon myself to do
everything in my capacity to drive a systematic and sustainable social change that could
address education in Nigeria. Education is a leveller of sorts – a platform that ensures equal
access to life-changing opportunities. This thinking birthed my educational initiative which I
hope improves the capacity of all people who benefit from it to contribute meaningfully to the
social and economic development of this country.
Education is regarded as the tool to change any society. Through the BTA Education fund, I
solve the problem of access to education for brilliant but indigent children by rendering
assistance in forms such as the provision of scholarships to secondary and university students,
donation of learning aids to schools, feeding of school children and mentorship.
These solutions are provided through various channels and partnerships which are managed in
conjunction with known organisations like the Ovie Brume Foundation, ScholarX and FoodClique
Support Initiative.
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