African Development Universalis (A.D.U.) is a bilingual institution (French and English) founded in 2017 by Kader Kaneye and the first not-for-profit university in Niger to offer world-class education to students from the Sahel region. We offer training within the liberal arts framework for today’s most in-demand jobs, taught by committed professors that aims to develop students’ critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to serve their communities. From interactive classes to internship and research, you will transform as you pursue your passions! Our unique model – ILIMI; which means “education, intellectual and knowledge” in Hausa, focuses on developing ethical and impact driven young leaders. A.D.U. draws inspiration from the world’s leading institutions of higher education such as Ashesi University in Ghana and Harvard University in the United States.
The mission of A.D.U. is to prepare the most talented young people in the Sahel Region and Africa to design and drive the development of their nations as effective, ethical leaders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
We believe that every problem is solvable when we commit the necessary time, creativity, energy and grit. Every day, we search for better, more efficient ways to serve our community and we take personal responsibility for that.
Excellence is both Technical and Ethical. We take pride in our work. We strive to become a world-class institution. We never compromise our values, and we never ever take shortcuts.
We consistently strive to find new ways to do better, to think out of the box, to use local resources and create models and solutions that have not been imagined or implemented yet.
A graduation ceremony is one that students dream about, with so much to celebrate! It’s indeed an exciting event for all involved and one of life’s finest milestones. For us at A.D.U., it is not only served as our first-ever ceremony where we graduated multiple cohorts of our students, but it also marked the celebration of our 5th anniversary and a celebration of our friends and partners who through their guidance, leadership, and support, we have made it this far. The following student cohorts were part of the ceremony – Mandela Cohort, Obama Cohort, Kagame Cohort, and Wangari Cohort, and they represent our student cohorts from inception to date.
The African Development University (A.D.U.) is a relatively new institution, but it has already produced some powerful alumni who are making a difference in their communities. In Niger, one of A.D.U’s most notable graduates is Ramatou Saleye, who is now a member of the Ilimi Innovation lab member. She has been a strong advocate for women’s rights and education, and her work has helped to improve access to education for girls in her community. Another ADU alumna, Aicha Mahaman (Kagame Cohort), is a successful entrepreneur who has started several businesses in Niger, including a fashion Business called Talit Design.
Talit Design’s mission is at the forefront of promoting traditional Nigerien accessories and loincloths. It aims to mainstream the wearing of jewelry made with traditional Nigerien loincloths, promote culture Nigerian, provide job opportunities for young people, and show the relevance and importance of traditional fashion even in today’s modern world. Talit Design’s product lineup includes designs of men’s and women’s accessories such as handbags, backpacks, shoes, belts, ties, watches, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. It also provides innovative home decoration. These are just a few examples of the impact that ADU’s alumni are making in Niger and beyond.