Client: Blue Sapphire Hub

Funding Partner: African Development Bank (AFDB)

Programme Year: 2023

Participant Profile: Innovation hub leaders and programme managers supporting 500+ entrepreneurs

Course: Running Effective Mentoring Programmes (REMP)

Blue Sapphire Hub is an innovation hub based in Kano State, Nigeria, supporting youth and women entrepreneurs through business development services, incubation, and policy advocacy. While mentoring had long been part of their programmes, it was mostly treated as training—mentors delivered content, and mentees absorbed it.

This one-way approach left little space for dialogue or reflection. Mentees were disengaged. Mentor matches were often based on career prestige rather than mentoring ability. And without monitoring systems, programme leaders had no way to assess impact or make improvements.

To change this, Blue Sapphire Hub joined the Running Effective Mentoring Programmes (REMP) course through the AFDB programme in 2023. Their goal: redesign their mentoring programme to be more engaging, impactful, and scalable.

Challenges Before REMP

• Mentoring Delivered Like Training Mentors dominated sessions and mentees had few opportunities to voice their needs or goals.
• No Way to Measure Impact Without monitoring and evaluation, it was impossible to track mentee progress or mentor effectiveness.
• Unqualified Mentor Selection Anyone with career success was considered a mentor, regardless of their ability to support mentees effectively.

What Changed After REMP

• Shift to Two-Way Engagement The programme now prioritises active mentee participation, deeper dialogue, and shared goal-setting.
• Structured Monitoring & Evaluation Blue Sapphire Hub adopted the Kirkpatrick Model to assess outcomes and improve based on data.
• Stricter Mentor Vetting & Preparation Mentors are now selected based on mindset and skills—not just achievements—and receive training before they begin.

Impact

• More Empowered Mentees Mentees now feel heard, supported, and more connected to their growth journeys. Engagement and satisfaction have gone up.
• Programme Scale-Up With better systems in place, Blue Sapphire Hub scaled its mentoring offering from one state to 10 states across Nigeria.
• Credibility Boost The improvements have positioned the hub as a trusted delivery partner for international mentoring initiatives.

“The REMP course completely changed the way we approach mentoring. We moved from a one-way training model to a truly engaging mentoring experience.”

— Maryam Lawan Gwadabe, Founder, Blue Sapphire Hub