Atiku Responds to Almajiri Question, Highlights AUN as Investment in Northern Nigeria
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to an X user who challenged him to explain what he had done to address poverty and the plight of Almajiri children in Northern Nigeria, following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration over economic hardship.
Atiku had recently criticised the Tinubu administration over worsening economic conditions, arguing that the hardship had become so severe that some Nigerians were being driven to desperate measures, including reportedly selling their kidneys to survive.
Reacting to Atiku’s comments, an X user questioned what he had done, particularly for the North and its growing population of Almajiri children who are forced to beg on the streets.
In response, Atiku said the sight of children begging should trouble every Nigerian, and pointed to the establishment of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola as a practical investment in education and human development in the North.
He explained that his decision to locate the university in Yola, rather than Abuja or Lagos, was deliberate, saying he wanted to bring quality education and opportunities closer to a region that had long faced developmental challenges.
“I chose Yola because I wanted to invest in my people, create opportunities, and bring world-class education closer to a region that had long needed greater access and development,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also highlighted programmes established by AUN to support vulnerable children, particularly the Almajiri and internally displaced children.
According to him, the university established the Feed and Read programme, which provides vulnerable Almajiri children with daily meals while teaching them literacy and numeracy.
He added that AUN’s Technology-Enhanced Learning for All initiative helped more than 20,000 internally displaced children learn to read through educational radio programmes.
Atiku further recalled that, following the Chibok tragedy in 2014, AUN awarded scholarships to young women who had escaped Boko Haram, giving them an opportunity to rebuild their lives through education.
He also stressed that AUN was not established simply as a personal or family business, saying he had signed a deed of gift transferring the university to the community.
“AUN belongs to the community it was established to serve,” he said.
Atiku’s response comes against the backdrop of a wider debate over poverty, economic hardship and the growing vulnerability of children in Northern Nigeria.
While the X user sought to draw attention to the continued prevalence of Almajiri street begging and questioned Atiku’s contribution to tackling the problem, the former vice president presented education and human capital development as part of his approach to addressing the region’s long-term challenges.
“My conviction remains simple: every child belongs in a classroom, not on the street with a begging bowl. Whether in government or outside it, I have always sought to turn that conviction into practical action,” Atiku said.
