AUN's Ensign gets honorary degree for work with refugees

The American University of Paris (AUP) has awarded an honorary doctorate to the President of the American University of Nigeria, Dr Margee Ensign, in recognition of her work with victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria.

Ensign was honoured at a Paris ceremony for her work with the Adamawa Peace Initiative (API), which uses education to promote peace, community development, and empowerment.

API's humanitarian relief effort in the regions affected by the insurgency provided food aid to more than 270 000 internally displaced people in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

Ensign is a staunch believer in the power of education as a tool for attaining peace.

Under her leadership, AUN offered several scholarships to displaced persons and created a special program for some of the rescued Chibok girls.

In late 2014, she told an Abuja based newspaper that Nigeria will have to employ non-military tactics, like providing education and employment to youths if the Boko Haram menace is to be stopped.

"We've gotta give them hope," she said in an interview.

"We've got to education and access to health care and employment opportunity.

She won the African Leadership Award from the World Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility in 2014.

In 2015, the women’s wing of the Jama’atul Nasril Islam in Nigeria honoured her.