Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has explained why he established the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State, saying the institution was conceived as a practical investment in education and human capital development in Northern Nigeria.
Atiku made the clarification while responding to an X user who questioned why he did not adequately address the Almajiri problem during his eight years as Vice President of Nigeria.
The former vice president said his decision to establish AUN in Yola was motivated by a desire to expand access to quality education and create opportunities for young people in a region that had historically faced significant educational and developmental challenges.
According to him, commercial considerations were not the primary motivation behind the establishment of the university.
“I established the American University of Nigeria as a practical investment in education and the development of the North,” Atiku said.
He explained that if profit had been his principal objective, he could have established the university in Abuja or Lagos, where he believed the commercial advantages would have been greater.
Instead, he deliberately chose Yola because of his desire to invest in the people of the region and bring what he described as world-class education closer to communities that needed greater access to educational opportunities.
Atiku also sought to clarify the ownership of the university, stating that AUN should not be viewed as his personal or family property.
He said he had already signed a deed of gift transferring the institution to the community, stressing that the university ultimately belongs to the community it was established to serve.
Beyond formal university education, Atiku highlighted several programmes associated with AUN that were specifically designed to support vulnerable children and communities.
One of such initiatives, he said, is the Feed and Read programme, which provides vulnerable Almajiri children with daily meals while simultaneously teaching them basic literacy and numeracy.
The programme, according to Atiku, reflects his belief that addressing the Almajiri challenge requires more than criticism or political rhetoric. He argued that vulnerable children need access to food, education and opportunities that can help them escape cycles of poverty and exclusion.
He also cited AUN’s Technology-Enhanced Learning for All initiative, which used educational radio programmes to reach internally displaced children who had been deprived of conventional schooling because of insecurity and displacement.
Atiku said the initiative helped more than 20,000 internally displaced children learn to read, demonstrating how technology could be deployed to extend educational opportunities to children living in difficult circumstances.
The former vice president further pointed to AUN’s response following the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction in 2014.
He noted that the tragedy occurred seven years after he had left office as Vice President, stressing that AUN nevertheless responded by providing scholarships to young women who had escaped Boko Haram captivity.
According to him, the scholarships were intended to provide the affected young women with an opportunity to rebuild their lives through education.
The former vice president’s response was also framed around a broader philosophy concerning education and the Almajiri system.
He argued that every Nigerian child deserves access to education and should not be condemned to a life on the streets.
“My conviction remains simple: every child belongs in a classroom, not on the street with a begging bowl,” he stated.
Atiku maintained that his commitment to education should not be measured exclusively by the period during which he occupied public office.
He argued that meaningful contributions to society can also be made outside government, noting that his establishment of AUN and the educational programmes connected to the institution represent practical efforts to expand educational opportunities and address social challenges.
His response comes amid continuing national debate over the Almajiri system, particularly concerns about out-of-school children, poverty, child begging, insecurity and limited access to formal education in parts of Northern Nigeria.
The Almajiri system has historically involved Islamic education for children, particularly in Northern Nigeria. While traditional Islamic education remains an important part of the region’s cultural and religious heritage, concerns have increasingly focused on children who lack access to basic literacy, numeracy and other forms of formal education.
Atiku’s argument is that educational investment can provide a pathway towards addressing some of these challenges by equipping vulnerable children with the knowledge and skills required to participate more fully in society.
By locating AUN in Yola and supporting programmes aimed at vulnerable and displaced children, he said he had sought to demonstrate that educational institutions could play a wider role in community development.
Ultimately, Atiku presented the university not simply as a private educational institution but as part of a broader effort to use education as an instrument of social transformation.
He maintained that whether in government or outside government, his commitment has remained focused on creating educational opportunities for young Nigerians.
For Atiku, the underlying principle is straightforward: children should have access to classrooms, quality education and opportunities to build productive lives rather than being left on the streets without meaningful educational prospects.
