Solving Africa’s challenges remains our mission – AUN president

The President, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State, Dr. Margee Ensign, says the university is committed to solving the developmental challenges in Nigeria and the Africa.

According to a statement from the university, Ensign stated this while addressing the 2014 enrollees of the institution.

The school’s Executive Director, Communications and Public Relations, Mr. Daniel Okereke, signed the statement obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

According to Ensign, the university is educating its students to understand poverty, illiteracy, conflict, unemployment, poor governance, and environmental degradation challenges, with a view to solving them.

She said, “Guided by the vision of its founder and the AUN board, this university has dedicated itself to a very special and vital mission of solving Nigeria’s and Africa’s development challenges.

“AUN has decided that what is needed now, in this time and place, is a development university, a university that will educate future leaders for Nigeria and Africa.

“AUN is still a young university. We are still building. We are still growing. But already our students, our faculty, and our staff have made a difference in our community, in Adamawa State, and in Nigeria. We are leading the way in community service, a programme in which all students work in the community, helping to educate, to mentor, and to foster peace.

“Our university is very active in peace building in this region, in fostering literacy, promoting sound ecological practices to protect the local environment, and in fostering economic development. We cooperate with other institutions to share our e-library resources, we teach local youths computer skills. We are determined to be part of the solution to Nigeria’s current challenges.”

The AUN president also urged the fresh students to work harder in order to excel in their future life challenges.

She added, “We expect that you will leave this part of the world a better educated, more prosperous, healthy, and peaceful place than it is today – as we all learn together how to forge a better future.”

Reflecting on “The Hope for Africa’s Youth,” an anniversary slogan created by a student, she added, “I am convinced that this university represents all of our hope for the future of Africa and of its young people. It stands as a gleaming monument to a belief that we can – work hard together – create a different and better future for Africa’s youth. In 25 years, Nigeria will be the third largest country in the world – and Africa’s youth will represent 25 per cent, one quarter of the world’s population.” The President of the AUN Students Government Association, Mr. Joseph Oladimeji, urged the fresh students to be courageous and be dedicated to their studies

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