Atiku Abubakar Biography: Age, Wife, Children & Networth

Atiku Abubakar – Former Vice President of Nigeria

Early Life

Atiku Abubakar was born on 25 November 1946 in Jada, a village in what is now Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria. His father, Garba Abubakar, was a Fulani trader and farmer, and his mother was Aisha Kande. Atiku was an only child—his sister died in infancy, so he grew up without brothers or sisters.

His father did not believe in Western schools at first. When the government found out Atiku was not going to school, his father was jailed and the family had to pay a fine. Atiku finally started primary school at age eight in Jada Primary School. He grew up in a village called Kojoli, about 30 km from Jada, and later moved back to Yola for his education.

Educational Background

Atiku began at Jada Primary School, starting around age eight and finishing in 1960.
He then attended Adamawa Provincial Secondary School in Yola, graduating in 1965 with a Grade Three in his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASC/GCE).
He spent a short time at Nigeria Police College, Kaduna, but had to leave because he did not have an O‑Level result in mathematics. He then studied at the School of Hygiene in Kano, where he got a diploma in 1967 and also served as interim president of the student union.
With a scholarship from the regional government, he joined the Institute of Administration at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria to study law. He graduated in 1969, during the Nigerian civil war.
Much later, in 2021, Atiku earned a master’s degree in international relations from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Career

Nigeria Customs Service

After his graduation in 1969, Atiku joined the Nigeria Customs Service. He worked there for about 20 years, rising through the ranks to become Deputy Director, the second-highest post in the service at that time. He retired in April 1989 to focus full-time on business and politics.

Hannatu Musa Musawa Biography: Age, Husband, Kids & Networth

Business Ventures

While still a customs officer, he started investing:

• Real Estate: In 1974, he borrowed 31,000 naira to build a house in Yola, which he rented out. Using the rent, he built more houses and created a real estate portfolio there.
• Agriculture: Starting in 1981, he acquired 2,500 hectares of land near Yola to grow maize and cotton, but this business closed down in 1986.
• Trading: He then traded in large quantities of rice, flour, and sugar.
• Logistics (INTELS): While working at the Apapa Ports in Lagos, he met Italian businessman Gabrielle Volpi. Together, they founded Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES), later renamed Intels Nigeria Limited, a shipping and oil-services company. This became his major source of wealth.
• Other Ventures: He also started Adama Beverages Limited in Yola (a soft drink and bottled water plant), an animal feed factory, and in 2005 he founded the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, the first American-style private university in sub‑Saharan Africa.

Politics

• Atiku entered politics in the 1980s, working on campaigns behind the scenes and helping to form the Peoples Front of Nigeria (PFN). In 1989, he was PFN’s National Vice‑Chairman and won a seat in the Constituent Assembly drafting a new constitution.
• He ran for president in 1993 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and placed third behind MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe.
• In 1998 he joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and won the Adamawa State governorship election. He was then chosen as running mate to Olusegun Obasanjo, and On 29 May 1999 he became Vice President of Nigeria, serving until 2007. During his time, he led the National Council on Privatization, overseeing sales of government companies and reforms in sectors like banking, telecom, and pensions.
• He later parted ways with Obasanjo and ran for president several times: in 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He lost each time but remained a major national figure.

Hannatu Musa Musawa Biography: Age, Husband, Kids & Networth

Personal Life

Atiku has had multiple marriages and a large family:

• His first wife, Titilayo Albert (Amina Titi Atiku-Abubakar), married him in December 1971, in Lagos. They have four children together: Fatima, Adamu, Halima, and Aminu .
• His second wife, Ladi Yakubu, married him in January 1979 and had six children before they divorced.
• His third wife, Princess Rukaiyatu, daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, married him in 1983 and bore several children.
• His fourth wife, Fatima Shettima, married in 1986 and had more children, including twins.
• He also married Jennifer Douglas (later known as Jamila Atiku Abubakar). Some sources say he has five wives and 26 or 28 children in total.

Social Media Presence

Atiku is active on social media.He has millions of followers on these platforms  making him one of Nigeria’s most popular politicians online. He also started a blog in 2013 and wrote about how social media and democracy work together in Nigeria 

 His known handles include:

• Twitter: @atiku
• Instagram: aatiku

Net Worth

Atiku Abubakar’s net worth is between US $1.4 billion and US $1.8 billion in 2024–2025. Some older sources say as much as $1.8 billion, while more recent estimates place it closer to $1.4 billion–$1.6 billion.

His wealth comes from several key areas:

• INTELS Nigeria Limited (oil and gas logistics company) is his biggest business asset.
• Real estate in Yola, Abuja, Lagos and even abroad, generating rental income and property value growth.
• Education: The American University of Nigeria (AUN) and other ABTI schools bring tuition income and educational infrastructure value.
• Agriculture: Farms for maize, cotton, livestock and food processing in Adamawa State.
• Beverage manufacturing via Adama Beverages Limited in Yola.
• Smaller investments and diversified holdings in transport, banking, telecoms, and startups.

Reported assets include a private jet (Embraer Phenom 100) costing around US $4.1 million, a chateau near Potomac, Maryland (worth $2.95 million), and luxury cars like Range Rover, Mercedes S550, Lexus 570, and Toyota Land Cruiser.