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ADC Presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has defended his record on the plight of vulnerable children in Northern Nigeria after a social media user challenged him over children still begging on the streets.
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Atiku said his decision to establish the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State, rather than in commercially attractive cities such as Abuja or Lagos, was deliberate.
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He cited AUN’s Feed and Read programme, which provides meals and basic literacy and numeracy education to vulnerable Almajiri children.
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The former Vice President also pointed to scholarships and other interventions for survivors of the Boko Haram crisis, insisting that his commitment to education has continued both in and outside government.
September 04, (THEWILL) — Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar has fired back at a critic who questioned his contribution to tackling the persistent problem of children begging on the streets in Northern Nigeria, saying his record of investing in education and vulnerable children speaks for itself.
The exchange followed a comment by an X user, identified as @Oluwabunmi63697, who challenged Atiku over a photograph showing children apparently engaged in street begging.
“Have you ever addressed this, sir? You were VP for 8 years, these innocent children are in your region and you couldn’t do anything to stop this calamity,” the user wrote.
Atiku, who served as Vice President between 1999 and 2007, acknowledged the concern but rejected the suggestion that he had done nothing to address the plight of vulnerable children in the North.
“I understand your concern, @Oluwabunmi63697. The sight of children begging on our streets should trouble every Nigerian,” he replied.
He subsequently highlighted the establishment of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola as part of his long-term intervention in education and human capital development in the region.
AUN’s own historical records show that Atiku founded the institution in Yola after first establishing ABTI Academy in 2002.
The university was licensed as ABTI University in 2003, while construction commenced in 2004 on land originally donated by the late Lamido of Adamawa. Its first students were admitted in 2005/2006.
Defending his decision to locate the university in Yola, Atiku said he could have chosen Abuja or Lagos if commercial considerations had been his primary objective.
“I established the American University of Nigeria as a practical investment in education and the development of the North.
“If profit had been my primary motivation, I could easily have located the university in Abuja or Lagos, where the commercial advantages would have been greater,” he said.
According to him, the decision to establish the university in Yola was driven by a desire to bring quality education closer to people in a region that had historically faced significant development and educational 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,” he said.
Atiku also sought to correct the perception that AUN was simply a family-owned commercial institution.
“And as I have publicly stated before, this university is not my personal property or that of my family. I have already signed a deed of gift transferring it to the community. AUN belongs to the community it was established to serve,” he said.
‘Feed And Read’ Targets Children On Streets
The former Vice President said his response to the crisis of vulnerable children went beyond establishing a conventional university.
He specifically cited the Feed and Read programme, an initiative associated with AUN’s community-development activities, which provides vulnerable Almajiri children with food and basic education.
Atiku also pointed to another intervention, the Technology-Enhanced Learning for All (TELA) programme, which was developed during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency to reach children displaced by the conflict.
According to AUN, TELA used radio and technology-assisted learning to provide education to more than 20,000 displaced and out-of-school children in Northeast Nigeria.
‘Every Child Belongs In A Classroom’
Atiku’s response comes against the backdrop of a persistent national crisis involving millions of Nigerian children who remain outside formal education.
UNICEF says Nigeria continues to carry one of the world’s largest burdens of out-of-school children. Its 2025 reporting put the number at more than 11 million, while highlighting the particular vulnerability of Almajiri children who are sent away from home for Qur’anic education and may end up begging on the streets.
Atiku therefore framed his intervention as part of a broader philosophy that education must be used to break the cycle that leaves children vulnerable to hunger, exploitation and radicalisation.
“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.
“Every child belongs in a classroom, not on the street with a begging bowl,” Atiku said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
