AUN rated best Africa’s premier development university

By Kristian Ngah Christian, back from Yola, Nigerian

Speaker after speaker at this year’s American University of Nigeria’s 7^th annual Founder’s Day used the crowd-pulling ceremony to rate the Yola-based institution as Africa’s premier development university. Several national and foreign dignitaries and heads of diplomatic missions in Nigeria attended the ceremony that culminated in the first annual Yola Peace Days. Both ceremonies were preceded by a conference, organized by the American University of Nigeria, AUN, for some 30 school principals from Nigeria and Cameroon.

Welcoming guests on day two of the Founder’s Day ceremony that was staged at the auspicious AUN auditorium, Abubakar Abba Tahir, assistant vice president of public relation and communication hailed what he called heart-warning stories of AUN’s commitment to service learning and community engagement; which he added underscores the institution’s mission as Africa’s leading development-driven university.

Abba Tahir was categorical that AUN’s place as Africa’s premier development university has been better translated by the achievements of its graduates in industry, business, IT, academia, government bureaucracy etc. Armed with what he qualified as customized AUN leadership credentials, Abba Tahir again pointed out that the graduates “are becoming increasingly busier around the world-inspiring hope, propelling dreams, changing lives and expanding the frontiers of prosperity for humanity …”

For her part, the emblematic AUN president, Margee Ensign announced that the institution’s development-driven approach has attracted not only students from Nigeria but also a large number from Cameroon and Rwanda. She said being an institution that is increasing its efforts to figure out what it means to become Africa’s best development university, the AUN has been active in peace building to ensure that students study in an environment void of fear. The AUN president was equally hopeful that the kind of training students receive would help them lead the development of Nigeria and Africa.

Former President Olusengun Obasanjo’s chief economic adviser, Prof. Charles Soludo, a Keynote speaker at the ceremony said no amount of words was enough to thank AUN’s founder, Atiku Abukakar, his Board of Trustees and management for putting in place what he too qualified as Africa’s best development university. He said Atiku Abubakar is not only a big blessing to Nigeria and Africa but is also doing all to leave the world better than he met it.

Even though known to have travelled widely, Prof. Soludo who is also former governor of Nigeria’s central Bank testified at last Saturday’s ceremony “I have never seen this kind of University…”. He said there were a lot of similarities between the University of Nigeria which he attended and the AUN; adding “A university that has development orientations is what Nigeria and Africa need for now”.

For his part, AUN founder and former vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar said the dream of creating an American-type university started when he was still going to school in Yola. He said AUN has from creation remained a development university and thanked Americans for trusting his ability to the extent of signing a partnership to run the AUN.

While also thanking parents who have trusted their kids into the able care of the AUN, Atiku Abubakar submitted and rightly so that several institutions in Nigeria are beginning to recruit workers only on condition that they are graduates of the American University of Nigeria.

Former students of the AUN, it was also said, are not only being readily accepted in the best universities in the world for post graduates programmes but are doing brilliantly well in studies.

AUN offering scholarships to Cameroonian students

Unlike other privately-owned universities that are capitalist in nature, the AUN, though is owned by a group of trustees is also involved in charity and fostering the education of underprivileged children. Little wonder therefore that 20% of the students in AUN are on scholarship. Of this percentage, eight of the students come from Cameroon and two from Rwanda. More and more, African parents are resorting to send their young children to the AUN with the argument that the Yola-based university has even more than what some European Universities offer. In addition, the AUN, many parents and students hold, has an unmatched approach to university studies. In the AUN, students are also involved in different community development projects.

No insecurity in AUN

Contrary to earlier fears, Yola, the seat of the AUN is one of the most peaceful towns in Nigeria and does not have any records of insecurity.

Without taking anything to chance however, the management of the AUN has put in place over 350 well-trained security guards on the campus. Not only are the guards the best trained in Nigeria, they are also well paid. No vehicle, be it that of the AUN staff enters the campus gate without proper search by the no-nonsense guards. Many Cameroonian students I spoke to told me the AUN is the best university that provides maximum security and a more than conducive learning environment. “At first, I was reluctant to come here but barely a few months in the AUN, I can say it again that I made the best choice”, a Cameroonian student told me.

Why the AUN remains the best in Africa

At AUN, students have the opportunity to acquire the best of American education on African soil. This seamlessly eliminates the stress usually associated with the often endless quest for foreign visa.

Students at AUN can acquire the best of American education at the fraction of what it takes to receive similar quality education in the United States or Europe.

The American University of Nigeria offers both parents and their wards the comfort of proximity to family and loved ones. This allows parents/guardians to keep tabs on their children/wards, to participate in key events at AUN, and also to ensure the perpetuation of cherished family values.

Safety concerns of parents and students get top priority attention at AUN where the entire premises are completely walled and patrolled 24/7 by an over 350-strong professional AUN security force. The AUN force is backed up by on-campus police station equipped and manned by the Nigerian Police Force.

At AUN where the teacher-student ratio is approximately 1:15, small is beautiful. Small class sizes allow productive faculty-student interaction. This is praised by AUN alumni as a key contributing factor to the success they experienced in their studies at the university.

At AUN, you can satisfy your desire to study for a period of time in America, the United Kingdom or elsewhere around the world via the University’s Study Abroad program. This program will take you nearly anywhere in the world for a semester or two, depending on your choice.

At AUN, you do not only acquire your degree, you can also earn a living and gain work experience while you study. The University engages interested academically capable students in some of its department to work for a stipulated period per week.

AUN offers hi-tech facilities that compete with the best equipped Universities around the world. It provides the ideal environment for students seeking to understand and engage the world. Both in class and out of class, students acquire hands-on professional experience and make vital real-world connections.

At AUN, students can win scholarships that qualify them for full tuition, reduced tuition and other costs as long as they maintain a minimum stipulated Cumulative Grade Point Average.

At AUN, we do our best to create an environment where student life is comfortable, pleasurable and entertaining. Students take advantage of the many social and cultural activities offered both within and around the University and can participate in well over 20 students clubs.

AUN graduates are spread all over Nigeria and around the world, studying or working for top employers and institutions. You can join them and be part of this growing AUN network of leaders.

The AUN and the Adamawa Peace Council

The Adamawa Peace Council, (APC) was formally launched on January 10; 2012 on the campus at the American University of Nigeria. It was formed during a time of turbulence in the country due to the removal of the fuel subsidy and increasing violence attributed to Boko Haram.

The APC (which is being renamed the Adamawa Peace Initiative) consists of religious, academic and community leaders in Yola and other parts of Adamawa State who are all committed to living in peace and harmony and to supporting the goals of the APC.

Several income-generating projects have been established, including one focused on IT training for unemployed youth. Members of the Peace Council nominate these youth and AUN’s staff at the IT center as well as faculty and students in the School of Information Technology and Computing, (SITC) are conducting this training.

The Peace Council has also visited local communities who have experienced violence and distributed food and bedding to flood victims.