In a revelation that captures the very essence of resilience and purpose, the founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), H.E. Atiku Abubakar, has shared how his journey toward building Africa’s first development university began with an unexpected childhood crisis—his father’s arrest for preventing him from going to school.
This deeply human story came to light in a special video podcast episode, “The Legacy Conversation: H.E. Atiku Abubakar in Dialogue with Akachukwu Madueke,” aired on Deep Dive with Akachukwu on YouTube. The podcast, hosted by Akachukwu Madueke, a Communications and Multimedia Design major with a Business Administration minor, delves into the vision, history, and enduring impact of AUN.
In the conversation, Atiku recounts how, despite his father’s initial resistance to Western education, he eventually gained access to schooling, propelling him towards an extraordinary destiny that shaped countless lives. Reflecting on the pivotal moments in Nigeria’s post-independence educational landscape, he shared how these experiences culminated in founding AUN, a tribute to the American Peace Corps volunteers who mentored him when Nigeria faced an educational vacuum.
The podcast was more than just a nostalgic reflection. H.E. Atiku Abubakar presented bold hopes for AUN’s future, highlighting the role of its students and alumni as torchbearers of the university’s founding vision. He spoke passionately about young Nigerians making their mark in global industries and emphasized the unshakable power of storytelling in preserving institutional legacies. “This is not just about the past,” His Excellency Atiku reminded viewers. “It is about ensuring that what we build today continues to empower the generations that come after us.”
The full episode is available on Deep Dive with Akachukwu here.
Reported by Akachukwu Madueke, CMD Major & Business Administration Minor.