Overview and History of Ave Maria University, Piyanko, Nasarawa State

 
Nestled in the tranquil community of Piyanko (along Jikwoyi–Karshi Road), near the Federal Capital Territory but officially located in Nasarawa State, Ave Maria University (AMU) offers an educational environment that combines faith-based values, academic ambition and modern infrastructure. As Nigeria’s private university sector expands rapidly, AMU presents an option for students and parents who are looking not merely for a degree, but for a holistic formation: one that integrates intellectual, spiritual, moral and entrepreneurial dimensions. In an era when higher education faces challenges—such as curriculum relevance, graduate employability, and infrastructure gaps—AMU positions itself to go beyond the lecture hall. The university emphasises character formation, ethical leadership and a commitment to service grounded in Catholic inspiration. At the same time, being relatively new, the institution benefits from fresh infrastructure, modern course designs and the opportunity to build strong student-faculty relationships. For students from Abuja, Nasarawa and surrounding states, AMU offers proximity, a manageable campus size, and the potential of smaller class sizes and closer mentoring. This blog post will explore the key facets of AMU: its official website, motto, founder, history, chancellor, accreditation and recognition, academic structure and facilities, campus life, and finally as far as available, notable alumni. The aim is to provide you with a rounded, humanised, informative and educative picture of what AMU is about, what it offers, and what to consider if you are exploring the institution.

##Official Website
The official website of Ave Maria University is https://www.avemariauniversity.edu.ngThrough this portal, prospective students, parents, and other stakeholders can access information such as admission requirements, tuition and fees, academic programmes, campus news and contact details. The presence of an up-to-date website reflects the university’s commitment to transparency and accessibility in today’s digital era.

##Motto
While a clearly stated motto for AMU Piyanko is not widely published in available sources, the university’s profile emphasises a holistic blend of faith and academic excellence—highlighting “a Catholic private university … founded by the Ave Maria Foundation” with an aim to develop students intellectually, morally and spiritually. 
In that sense, even though the formal motto isn’t clearly documented, the underlying values appear to centre on “Faith, Integrity and Excellence” (or a similar formulation) — seen in how the institution frames its mission.

##Founder
The proprietor of Ave Maria University is the Ave Maria Foundation, and the Chairman of the board is listed as Matthew Audu. 
While a full biography of Matthew Audu is not readily available in the sources found, his role as Chairman of the proprietor foundation signals that the university is backed by a faith-based educational organisation with prior presence in Nigerian schooling (such as nursery/primary/secondary schools). For prospective students this implies that the institution has a committed stakeholder base, and a connection to existing educational networks.

##History
Ave Maria University (AMU), Piyanko was among the private universities approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2021. 

The site at Piyanko along Jikwoyi–Karshi Road places the university in a semi-urban environment that combines proximity to Abuja with the calm of a quieter campus setting. According to local write-ups, AMU was founded by the Ave Maria Foundation, which previously operated nursery, primary and secondary schools in the Abuja/Nasarawa region (e.g., Nyanya, Mararaba). 
In its early stages, the institution emphasised a vision of holistic education—that is, equipping students academically, morally and spiritually—with a Catholic foundation that welcomes students from various backgrounds. The university’s academic programmes span social and management sciences, basic sciences, computing and health sciences. 

One of the first major accreditation achievements was for its programmes: for example, its Criminology & Security Studies programme received full accreditation with a 90.00% score in November 2024. 

Another, its Biotechnology programme in the Sciences discipline achieved full accreditation (88.62%) in November 2024. 
These early accreditation successes reflect a strong institutional focus on meeting national quality standards. At the same time, the university faces typical growing-institution challenges: for example, the NUC reports for some programmes cite deficiencies in resources, funding, library holdings, and staff development. 

The history of AMU thus can be characterised as a youthful institution (licensed in 2021), backed by an established educational foundation, committed to faith-based formation, and actively building its academic and infrastructural capacity. For students and parents, this means that AMU offers modern institutions with growing credibility—but also one in development, where infrastructure and resources are expanding rather than yet fully matured.

##Chancellor
As of the available sources, a named Chancellor for AMU Piyanko is Eucharia Onah, who is listed as the Chancellor and promoter of the Ave Maria group of schools/university. 

Mrs. Eucharia Onah is cited as the promoter of the Ave Maria Group of Schools and Chancellor of the university. While detailed biographical information is limited in publicly accessible sources, her involvement indicates that the leadership is drawn from practitioners in Nigerian education with experience in primary/secondary school management and the expansion into tertiary education. Her role as Chancellor implies strategic oversight, upholding the faith-based mission of the institution and linking it to the foundation’s educational legacy.

##Accreditation and Recognition
Accreditation and recognition underpin the legitimacy of any university’s degrees and offerings—and AMU has made meaningful strides here:

The NUC report dated 21–23 November 2024 approved full accreditation for the Criminology & Security Studies programme with a score of 90.00%. 

The NUC report dated 20–22 November 2024 approved full accreditation for the Biotechnology programme (Sciences discipline) with a score of 88.62%. 

The Cyber Security programme in the Computing discipline also attained full accreditation (82.5%) in November 2024. 


##Academic Structure and Facilities
AMU’s academic structure and facilities are designed to support a modern tertiary learning environment. Below are key highlights of at least six features:

Social & Management Sciences

Basic Sciences

Health Sciences and Computing


##Campus Life and Facilities
Campus life at AMU is designed to be supportive, engaging and wholesome, integrating academics, welfare, spiritual life and community. Key aspects include:

Residential Campus & Accommodation – As noted, the university provides hostel accommodation with varying room occupancies and charges (6 in a room, 4, 3, 2 persons) which helps foster community living, peer networks and easier access to facilities. 

Spiritual & Character-Formation Environment – Being a Catholic-based institution, AMU places emphasis on moral and spiritual development alongside academics. The description of the institution emphasises “holistic education” and “faith-based private university … founded by the Ave Mary Foundation… to develop students intellectually, morally and spiritually.” 

Modern Learning & Technical Infrastructure – With labs, e-library, ICT fees, up-to-date programmes (e.g., Cyber Security, Digital Entrepreneurship) and accreditation in key STEM programmes, students are likely to experience a learning environment aligned with contemporary demands.

Proximity & Accessibility – The campus is located along Jikwoyi-Karshi Road, Piyanko, Nasarawa State (close to Abuja FCT) which gives students access to both a relatively peaceful environment and the amenities of the capital region.

Student Communities & Extracurricular Life – Though detailed listings of clubs and societies are limited in available sources, the presence of modern tuition schedules, infrastructure fees and digital resources imply an institutional readiness for student engagement beyond lectures.

Growing but Developing Environment – Accreditation reports point out areas needing improvement (library books, staff offices, funding), which suggests that campus life may include a spirit of building and growth. For students this can be a positive (opportunity to shape the culture, closer faculty contact) but also a consideration (some facilities may still be under development)