By Abdulrahman Aliagan, Abuja
“I walked miles for secondary education and attained higher learning late in life. This university is my way of giving back—to ensure no child from Ganmo or anywhere else must endure what I endured to access quality education.”
— Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin
From the right: Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin, the Proprietor of AATU, to his left Former President, Court of Appeal, Nigeria and the Chairman Board of Trustees of AATU, Justice Isa Ayo Salami and the Secretary to the Board and Project Implementation Committee, Barrister Ahmad Shehu Moyosore at the presentation of the University’s License at Natitional Universities Commission (NUC), Maitama, Abuja.
In the heart of Ganmo, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, a new beacon of educational excellence is rising—Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University (AATU). Officially licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) on Wednesday in Abuja, AATU is not just another entrant into Nigeria’s expanding higher education landscape. It is a transformative institution born from resilience, inspired by purpose, and powered by excellence.
AATU is a private, not-for-profit university with a mission that transcends conventional academia. Its visionary founder and Chancellor, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin, has imbued the institution with his personal journey—a life marked by determination, struggle, and eventual triumph.
While AATU emerges from Ganmo, it is built for the world. The university represents a bold step toward repositioning Nigeria on the global academic map. Its governance structure includes some of the most distinguished minds in academia and administration, both within and outside Nigeria.
Heading the Board of Trustees is the venerable Justice (Dr.) Isa Ayo Salami (OFR, CFR), a respected jurist who described the university’s establishment as:
“The best thing to happen to Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State, and Nigeria in general.”
— Justice Isa Ayo Salami
The Proprietor of Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abubakar Olanrewaju displaying the University License at NUC, Maitama, Abuja.
His optimism is shared by Prof. (Mrs.) Angela Freemanmiri, former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja and an AATU trustee. She praised the founder for assembling:
“Men and women of noble character and global academic reputation.”
“With the caliber of people on the Board of Trustees, I strongly believe the university has started well and is capable of attaining global standards in no time. I promise to contribute all the expertise and experience I have gathered over the years to ensure this citadel of learning stands out.”
— Angela Freemanmiri
Notably, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council is Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, a distinguished scholar and public intellectual, who formerly served as Vice Chancellor of both Kwara State University and the University of Abuja.
Other council members include renowned technocrats and educationists such as Hajia Halimatu Yusuf; Alhaji Kamaru Ibitoye Yusuf (Kamwire), a successful industrialist; and Mr. Adam Nuru, former Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
AATU’s commitment to excellence is already reflected in its infrastructure and strategic academic vision. Prof. Kazeem Alade Gbolagade, current Vice Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University and a member of the Project Implementation Committee (PIC), outlined the readiness of the institution:
“The university is beginning with three faculties and 16 academic programmes. Our classrooms are ready, a state-of-the-art CBT center is installed, the library is fully automated, and our laboratories meet global standards. AATU is not just a university—it is a 21st-century smart university.”
— Prof. Kazeem Gbolagade,
Faculties and Programmes at Takeoff – September 2025
1. Faculty of Science and Computing
B.Sc. Biochemistry
B.Sc. Biotechnology
B.Sc. Computer Science
B.Sc. Information and Communication Technology
B.Sc. Cyber Security
B.Sc. Software Engineering
B.Sc. Medical Physics
2. Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
B.Sc. Agricultural Economics
B.Sc. Architecture
B.Sc. Quantity Surveying
B.Sc. Urban and Regional Planning
B.Sc. Estate Management
3. Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences
B.Sc. Accounting
B.Sc. Economics
B.Sc. Business Administration
B.A. History and International Relations
The PIC, chaired by Prof. Ademola Oladapo Popoola, former Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, is executing the rollout of academic and infrastructural components with strategic precision. Administrative units such as the library, registry, and bursary will be fully automated, underscoring the university’s paperless, smart-campus vision.
Speaking on the journey so far, Barr. Shehu Ahmed Moyosore, Secretary to both the Board of Trustees and the PIC, emphasized the magnitude of the achievement:
“This project is a long-time dream that has come true. It started in 2021 and by 2022, we formally applied for licensing at the NUC—which, to the glory of God, has now become a reality.”
— Barr. Ahmad Shehu Moyosore
He noted that the choice of Ganmo as the university’s location was not accidental but rather intentional. It is the founder’s community, and the decision aligns with his promise to ensure that ordinary citizens, especially from his hometown, can access quality education—based on his own experience of late access to western education.
“I’m not in doubt that the university will positively impact its immediate community and, in time, the wider society. AATU is a not-for-profit university. It’s not about profit, but about building future leaders through quality education. That is why we say AATU is a University for Global Citizenship, focusing not only on Nigeria but the world.”
“We have succeeded in assembling a lofty and capable team—from the Board of Trustees to the University Council—to steer the vision forward.”
Barr. Moyosore also confirmed that the university has submitted its verification application to the NUC, with academic activities expected to commence by September–October 2025, backed by the approved 16 programmes.
Also commenting, Dr. Shehu Lukman Erubu, another PIC member, noted:
“AATU is a dream come true and a fulfillment of promises powered by the proprietor’s passion.”
— Dr Shehu Lukman Erubu
The university is designed to be technology-driven, entrepreneurship-centered, and innovation-oriented. It emphasizes digital literacy, research, and self-reliance—all of which align with the Federal Government’s renewed emphasis on STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences).
According to Prof. Abdulganiy Okanla Ahmed, a member of the PIC from the University of Abuja:
“We are building a university ready for global citizenship. With the right partnerships and intellectual capital in place, we are fully prepared to begin academic activities by September 2025.”
— Prof. Abdulganiy Okanla
As Nigeria welcomes 11 new private universities, Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University stands out—not only for its infrastructure or elite governance but for the heart behind its vision. It is a university born out of lived experience, grounded in human dignity, and powered by a mission to educate, enlighten, and elevate.
In a rapidly changing global academic environment, AATU is poised to become a model of what is possible—when purpose meets professionalism and when access to education becomes not just a national policy, but a personal promise fulfilled.
