In his speeches and commentary, Abubakar is a vocal advocate of the importance of Nigeria's educational system. He is also the founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa. It was founded in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State as American University of Nigeria (AUN) by Abubakar in 2005. He has said that having benefited from the U.S. system of instruction as a young man, he was eager to make available in Nigeria an American styled faculty – emphasizing critical thinking, small classes, student participation, problem-solving. AUN has received special recognition from Google.