Atiku Abubakar: AUN Established for Community, Not Profit

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar asserted that the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola was founded to benefit the community rather than for personal profit. He made this statement on Friday in response to an inquiry about his efforts to assist Almajiri children in northern Nigeria.

Atiku explained that if profit were his main goal, he would have established the university in more commercially advantageous locations like Abuja or Lagos. He chose Yola to invest in local development and provide access to quality education.

Atiku clarified that AUN is not a personal asset, having signed a deed of gift to transfer ownership to the community. He highlighted initiatives such as the Feed and Read program, which offers meals and education to vulnerable Almajiri children, and the Technology-Enhanced Learning for All program, which has helped over 20,000 internally displaced children learn to read.

He also mentioned scholarships awarded to young women who escaped Boko Haram after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls' abduction.