The American University of Nigeria (AUN) on 8 May, 2026, honored students whose achievements reflected excellence across academics, leadership, service, athletics, and professional engagement. Building on earlier graduation proceedings, the awards presentation shifted focus from ceremony to recognition, spotlighting individual distinction within the graduating cohort.
A defining feature of the evening was the Corporate Awards for Academic Excellence, presented by AUN partners Leadway Assurance, AccessARM Pensions, Haruna Musa, and Sam Mac. The Leadway Assurance Award, which recognized top female graduates across AUN’s schools, was awarded to Tirzah I. Phillips and Fatima Bello Mai in the School of Arts & Sciences. Other recipients included Naziah A. Adeleke (School of Business & Entrepreneurship), Igbunu E. Odjesa (School of Engineering), Dongnaan Christine Bala (School of IT & Computing), and Ubaidatu H. Yettisuri (School of Law), underscoring consistent academic excellence among female graduates.
Under the AccessARM Pensions Award for Academic Excellence, recognition went to A’ishah A. Ibrahim and Nihama Abigail Banjiram, highlighting strong academic performance across disciplines.
The Haruna Musa Award further acknowledged a select group of high-achieving graduates, including Mouhbit Abdoulah Said, Evalsam Murna Gaul, and Fatima Muhammed Yusuf, in recognition of sustained academic distinction.
In Communications & Multimedia Design, the Sam Mac Award for Academic Excellence was presented to Tirzah I. Phillips, further affirming her exceptional academic record within the programme.
Beyond academics, the ceremony highlighted student engagement in service and extracurricular life. The Community Service Award was presented to Mujaheed Zakari Naiwa and Michelle Tungkat Niyang, in recognition of sustained contributions to volunteerism and community impact.
The Athletics Award recognized balanced excellence in sport and study, with honours going to Ritji Josiah Dimlong and Tirzah I. Phillips.
In leadership, the President’s Award for Leadership was conferred on Tirzah I. Phillips and Muhammad Bashir Zakari, recognizing students whose influence extended across academic and co-curricular spaces.
The ceremony also included special recognitions for graduating contributors Israel Curtis-Dike and Akachukwu Madueke, acknowledging their roles in shaping the collective identity of the graduating class.
Overall, the awards presentation reinforced AUN’s emphasis on holistic graduate development, recognizing not only academic distinction but also leadership, service, and excellence across multiple dimensions of student life.