“I’ll Return to University After Politics” — Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has announced plans to return to university after retiring from politics, underscoring his lifelong commitment to education and human capital development. Speaking in Abuja on Sunday at the Pacesetters’ Schools Class of 2025 Graduation and Prize-Giving Ceremony, where 205 students graduated, Atiku said he looks forward to studying again after his political career.

Atiku, founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), recalled his journey from establishing a nursery and primary school, then a secondary school, and later a university, describing education as the best investment anyone can make. He praised the founder of Pacesetters Schools Abuja, Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon, for his dedication to providing quality education to Nigerian children.

The former Vice President said education is the key to unlocking Nigeria’s vast potential and critical to national unity and development. He noted that an educated population is less susceptible to manipulation by divisive elements and called for more funding and a curriculum that fosters entrepreneurship.

Atiku also reflected on his own educational experience, sharing how American Peace Corps teachers influenced his secondary school in Northern Nigeria in 1961 after the departure of British teachers, inspiring him to embrace the American curriculum model in his schools.

In his remarks, Imansuangbon reaffirmed the school’s mission to produce graduates capable of creating their own opportunities, rather than waiting for white-collar jobs. He said the school aims to raise independent, well-rounded individuals who will positively impact society.

Several dignitaries attended the event, including Senator Augustine Akobundu, wife of Zamfara State governor Hajiya Huriyya Dauda Lawal, and former Labour Party National Chairman Dan Nwanyanwu. The ceremony also featured a special award presented to Mrs. Elizabeth Imansuangbon, mother of the school’s chairman.