President Bola Tinubu has recounted how he worked as a taxi driver and took up several jobs in the United States to finance his university education, saying the experience shaped his commitment to expanding access to education in Nigeria.
The President disclosed that he had to delay starting school for several months after arriving in the US to save enough money to fund his studies.
Tinubu shared the experience in a post on his official X account on Wednesday while outlining his administration’s achievements and ongoing reforms in the education sector.
Recalling his early struggles as a student in the United States, he said he understood the financial challenges associated with pursuing higher education, including tuition fees, accommodation and other living expenses.
“When I first arrived in the United States as a young man, I drove a taxi to earn money for my education. I even had to postpone starting school for several months to save enough.
“When I eventually got to Chicago, I worked different jobs to support myself and pay my way through university. I know what it means to worry about tuition, accommodation and how to make ends meet while pursuing an education.
“Those experiences have stayed with me. I know what education made possible in my own life, and I believe every Nigerian child deserves that same opportunity, regardless of where they are born or what their parents can afford,” he said.
Tinubu described education as a major priority of his administration, disclosing that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed more than ₦372bn in student loans to cover institutional fees and maintenance allowances.
NELFUND was established under the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, signed into law by Tinubu in April 2024, to provide interest-free financial assistance to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions.
The scheme covers institutional charges and upkeep allowances, with approved tuition fees paid directly to students’ institutions and maintenance payments transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The legislation also removed the previous family income threshold and guarantor requirement, making it easier for eligible students to access financial support without requiring their parents to meet a specified income level or provide guarantors.
Under the repayment arrangement, beneficiaries are expected to begin repaying their loans two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps programme. Repayments are linked to employment and income, with employed beneficiaries required to contribute 10 per cent of their monthly salaries.
On technical and vocational education, the President disclosed that the government’s programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.
He added that students in federal and selected state technical colleges now enjoy free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms as part of efforts to promote technical skills and vocational training.
Tinubu also highlighted developments in university education, saying his administration had reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which provides for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in the country’s tertiary institutions.
“A four-year course must take four years. Our young people deserve to complete their education on time and get on with their lives. Promise made, promise kept,” he said.
The President further disclosed that his administration was investing ₦110bn in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools to strengthen medical education and expand the country’s capacity to train healthcare professionals.
According to him, annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000, while medical and dental enrolment had risen from 5,000 to 12,000.
“Nigeria needs more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and we must build the capacity to train them here at home,” he added.
Tinubu also said more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to classrooms, while his administration was investing in teacher development and expanding educational opportunities for girls.
He further announced that a new national curriculum was being implemented to reintroduce Nigerian History into classrooms, describing the subject as essential to building national identity and preparing young people for leadership.
“Our children must know where we have come from, understand the country they belong to, and be prepared to take responsibility for its future,” he said.
The President commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and other members of the education team for their contributions to the ongoing reforms.
He also announced the introduction of an interactive A–Z platform for the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, designed to provide information on reforms, programmes, achievements and opportunities across the country’s education system.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to visit edu4pbat.ng to explore the initiative and submit feedback on challenges affecting education in their communities.
“If you are a parent, find out what opportunities are available for your children. If you are a student, explore the programmes you can benefit from. If you are a teacher, see what support is available.
“And if something is not working as it should in your community, I want to hear about it. Your feedback will help us identify problems and address them,” he said.
The President maintained that a child’s circumstances at birth should not determine the limits of their ambitions, stressing that every Nigerian deserves equal access to educational opportunities and the chance to fulfil their potential.
