ABUJA, NIGERIA | 25 JULY 2026 — StandTall University recorded a defining moment in its institutional history as His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, PhD, CFR, the 12th Lamido Fombina, Premier Ruler of Adamawa and Chairman, Adamawa State Council of Emirs and Chiefs, formally accepted his investiture as the Founding Chancellor of StandTall University at a historic ceremony in Abuja.
The Public Recognition and Presentation Ceremony, held at the B.O. Ukeje Auditorium of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja, attracted traditional rulers, senior government officials, academics, education stakeholders, captains of industry, development partners, friends and associates of the Lamido, as well as members and partners of StandTall Africa Initiative.
The investiture represented the culmination of years of educational and human-capital interventions by StandTall Africa Initiative and marked the beginning of a new chapter in the development of StandTall University.
A Chancellor Chosen to Embody the University’s Values
In the Founder’s Conferral Address, the University described the appointment of the Lamido of Adamawa as a deliberate choice founded on his distinguished record as a scholar, traditional ruler, administrator, advocate of education and exemplary leader committed to peace, unity and national development.
The University stated that its mission extends beyond producing graduates to developing leaders of character, innovators, entrepreneurs and responsible citizens capable of transforming society through education, research, innovation and ethical leadership.
His Royal Majesty subsequently accepted the responsibility as the University’s pioneer Chancellor, formally beginning what the institution described as a partnership between traditional leadership, scholarship, innovation and service to society.
Atiku Abubakar Challenges African Universities to Become Problem-Solving Institutions
One of the major highlights of the ceremony was the keynote address by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, GCON, Waziri Adamawa, former Vice President of Nigeria and 2027 Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His address was delivered on his behalf by Alhaji Musa Halilu Ahmed, Zannah Dujima of Adamawa.
Atiku’s keynote, titled “The Future of Education, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and National Development in Nigeria and Africa,” challenged African universities to move beyond the traditional emphasis on certificates and become centres for research, innovation, enterprise creation, leadership development and community transformation.
He argued that the African university of the future must identify real societal problems and produce practical solutions, particularly in agriculture, healthcare, housing, financial inclusion, governance, employment, peace-building and the digital economy.
The former Vice President also emphasised the importance of technology, applied research and entrepreneurship, maintaining that Africa cannot continue merely to consume technologies developed elsewhere but must raise a generation of creators, innovators and owners of knowledge.
For StandTall University specifically, the keynote offered a clear challenge: the institution should seek to measure its success not only by the number of graduates it produces, but by the number of problems it solves.
StandTall University Announces Landmark Faculties and Research Centres
The ceremony also witnessed the presentation of an ambitious academic and research development agenda through which StandTall University will establish specialised faculties, centres and platforms named in honour of distinguished Nigerians.
Among the institutions announced are the Aliko Dangote Centre for Emerging Entrepreneurs; Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship Management; Dr. Muhammadu Indimi Faculty of Science and Technology; Alhaji Auwalu A. Rano Centre for National Development and Manpower Improvement; and Senator Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari Faculty of Management and Social Sciences.
The initiative is intended to transform the recognition of these eminent Nigerians into enduring academic platforms for entrepreneurship, business development, science and technology, management, social sciences, research, innovation and national development.
Rather than existing merely as commemorative structures, the University intends the faculties and centres to become active platforms for research, teaching, innovation, mentorship, enterprise development and the creation of practical solutions to African developmental challenges.
Fundraising Opens for Lamido Muhammadu Barkindo Senate House
Another defining moment of the ceremony was the formal opening of fundraising and development support for the proposed Lamido Muhammadu Barkindo Senate House, to be established in honour of the Founding Chancellor.
The fundraising floor was opened by keynote speaker Atiku Abubakar, who announced a financial commitment towards the project but elected not to publicly disclose the amount.
His intervention set the pace for further commitments from dignitaries and supporters of the University, including the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, and other personalities present at the ceremony. Maiha’s current ministerial designation is confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
The initiative forms part of the University’s broader development campaign seeking individual and corporate partnerships in infrastructure, scholarships, laboratories, libraries, research, technology, endowments, sponsorship of academic programmes, faculty development and student support.
Building an African University of Global Standard
The message emerging from the ceremony was clear: the investiture was not conceived merely as a celebration of a distinguished traditional ruler, but as the formal beginning of an ambitious institutional journey.
The keynote challenged StandTall University to build an institution that is “African in identity and global in standard” — one committed to excellence, credible partnerships, ethical leadership, entrepreneurship and research capable of responding to real societal problems.
The University also used the occasion to call upon governments, development institutions, corporate organisations, philanthropists, academics and friends of education to become partners in building an institution capable of serving generations.
With the acceptance and investiture of the Lamido of Adamawa as its Founding Chancellor, the announcement of landmark academic and research institutions, and the commencement of fundraising for its Senate House, StandTall University has entered a new phase in its journey towards becoming a centre for knowledge, leadership, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and service to Africa.
A Chancellor has been invested. A vision has been unveiled. A new chapter has begun.
StandTall University — Knowledge Unleashed, Solutions Forged.