President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that he worked as a taxi driver and took up several other jobs in the United States to finance his university education. In a post on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, Tinubu said his personal struggles as a student shaped his administration’s commitment to expanding access to education in Nigeria. He had to postpone starting school for several months after arriving in the United States to save enough money for his education.
Tinubu’s experience of struggling to pay tuition, accommodation, and other living expenses while studying in Chicago had remained with him and influenced his determination to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied educational opportunities because of their family’s financial circumstances. He stated that his administration had prioritized education, citing the provision of over N372 billion in student loans through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to cover institutional fees and students’ upkeep.
The President also disclosed that the administration’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted over 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated. According to him, students in federal and selected state technical colleges now enjoy free tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms. This move aims to increase access to education and skills development for Nigerian youths.
Tinubu’s administration has also made efforts to address disruptions in the university system. The President said his administration had reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, providing for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in the nation’s universities. He declared that his administration was determined to end prolonged academic disruptions.
The President further disclosed that the Federal Government was investing N110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools to strengthen the country’s capacity to train healthcare professionals. He said annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000, while medical and dental enrolment had risen from 5,000 to 12,000. This investment aims to improve the country’s healthcare sector.
Tinubu also said more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning, alongside investments in teacher development, expanded educational opportunities for girls, and the introduction of a new national curriculum that restores Nigerian History to classrooms. He explained that the restoration of Nigerian History was aimed at helping children understand the country’s past and appreciate their national identity.
The President commended the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and the entire education team for their contributions to the reforms. He urged Nigerians to visit edu4pbat.ng to explore the initiative and identify educational opportunities available to parents, students, and teachers. The President acknowledged that more work remained to be done, pledging to sustain the administration’s education reforms.
Key points
- President Tinubu worked as a taxi driver in the US to finance his university education.
- The administration has provided over N372 billion in student loans through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
- Over one million children have returned to learning, and investments have been made in teacher development and expanded educational opportunities.
