President Bola Tinubu has recounted how he struggled to finance his university education in the United States, revealing that he worked as a taxi driver and took up other jobs to support himself.
The President shared the experience in a Wednesday post on his X account, saying his financial struggles as a student influenced his determination to improve access to education in Nigeria.
Tinubu said he had to delay his university admission to save money before relocating to Chicago, where he worked several jobs to meet his educational and 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,” he said.
“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.”
He said the experience exposed him to the difficulties students encounter in paying school fees and securing accommodation, adding that financial circumstances should not prevent Nigerian children from pursuing their dreams.
The President listed several education initiatives introduced by his administration, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said had disbursed over N372bn to support students with tuition and upkeep.
He also disclosed that the government’s technical and vocational education programme had recorded more than 2.8 million applications, with 38 technical colleges renovated.
According to Tinubu, students in federal and selected state technical colleges now receive free education, accommodation, textbooks and uniforms.
On the university sector, he said a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) included a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers and measures to promote stability in the institutions.
Tinubu stressed the need for students to graduate without unnecessary delays, insisting that academic programmes should be completed within their designated periods.
“A four-year course must take four years. Our young people deserve to complete their education on time and get on with their lives,” he said.
The President further announced that N110bn had been earmarked for the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools.
He said annual nursing enrolment had grown from 28,000 to 115,000, while admission figures for medical and dental courses increased from 5,000 to 12,000.
Tinubu also stated that over one million children who had previously dropped out of school had returned to classrooms.
He said the government was expanding teacher training, promoting education for girls and introducing a revised national curriculum that includes Nigerian history.
The President commended Education Minister Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad and other officials for their contributions to the reforms.
He urged Nigerians to use the education ministry’s interactive A–Z platform to access information about government education programmes and encouraged citizens to report problems affecting schools in their communities.
Tinubu said providing equal educational opportunities remained essential to the country’s development, adding that the government was determined to ensure children could achieve their ambitions regardless of their backgrounds.
“Our journey from reform to opportunities and shared prosperity must begin with education.
“The circumstances of a child’s birth should never determine the limits of their ambition. Our responsibility is to give every Nigerian child a fair chance to fulfil their potential.
“We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through,” he added.