Former Vice President and Founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Atiku Abubakar, has reaffirmed his belief in education as the most powerful tool for personal and national transformation,Daily Trust reports.
Speaking to the graduating Class of 2025 at AUN, Atiku shared personal reflections and lessons from his life, underscoring the impact of education on his journey.
“My father was imprisoned for refusing to let me attend school,” he revealed in a podcast produced by AUN’s Communications and Multimedia Design Department. “We started with nothing—sitting on bare ground, writing with our fingers. That’s where I began.”
Dispelling common assumptions, Atiku clarified that his decision to establish AUN was not driven solely by his early hardships.
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“The story of AUN began differently,” he said. “It was the American Peace Corps who taught me in 1961 that truly inspired the vision.”
Throughout his address, Atiku emphasized the values of resilience, patience, and courage, drawing from pivotal moments in his life.
“I have endured many trials. I’ve been hunted, but I’ve never lost faith,” he said. “Patience is not a weakness; it is the strength of the wise. When we resisted military rule, I was offered a governorship without an election — I turned it down. In 1999, I earned the position of Vice President legitimately.”
He also paid tribute to his mentor, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, recalling his composure in the face of a death sentence.
“On the day of his planned execution, his blood pressure was normal. That’s a soldier. That’s true courage,” Atiku recounted.
He went on to describe surviving an assassination attempt in Kaduna.
“I hid my wife and children in a wardrobe and confronted the attackers directly. They fired at me and missed. I stood my ground and asked, ‘Why did you shoot?’ That’s courage,” he said.
Offering advice to the graduating entrepreneurs, Atiku urged them to lead with principle and self-reliance.
“Build with integrity. Keep your ventures independent. Don’t depend on government. Avoid unnecessary conflict, but never sacrifice your values,” he advised.
