Prof Na’ Allah influenced my plans to establish AATU university – Proprietary

Abuja-based business magnate and owner, Abdurazaq Abubakar Toyin University (AATU), Alhaji AbdulRazaq Toyin, has on Thursday alleged that former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor AbdulRasheed Nalah, influenced his decision to establish a private university located in Oke-Ogba Gannon, Kwara State.

Alhaji Toyin, a qualified second grade teacher and son of a farmer, said his initial plan was to set up a standard hospital or secondary school on his vast expanse of land located in the heart of Gannon community for which he had already arranged facilities.

He, however, said the former two-term vice-chancellor of the University of Abuja and pioneer vice-chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, made him change his decision after a visit to the school site.

Quoting Prof. Nalah, the owner said: “He said this is beyond a secondary school, my friend, if you want to listen to me, why can’t you write NUC for the license?

We wrote and got the license and so this place became a university.”

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference to commemorate the university’s first Founders’ Day/open house, the owner who is also the university’s president, said his mission is to see the university grow into “a world-class university like Harvard University.”

He expressed satisfaction that the university, which initially had 600 students, is having a positive impact on the community by “providing them with jobs and also meeting the demands of those seeking admission.”