President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has disclosed that he worked as a taxi driver and took on several other jobs in the United States to finance his university education. According to Tinubu, he had to postpone starting school for several months after arriving in the US to save enough money to support his education. This experience shaped his belief that every Nigerian child should have access to quality education, regardless of their family background.
Tinubu explained that after arriving in the United States, he drove a taxi to raise money for his education before eventually moving to Chicago, where he worked different jobs to support himself through university. He said he knows what it means to worry about tuition, accommodation, and how to make ends meet while pursuing an education. These experiences have stayed with him and reinforced his commitment to making education accessible to Nigerian children.
The President described education as a major priority of his administration's Renewed Hope agenda, adding that his government had introduced several initiatives to improve access to learning and strengthen educational institutions across the country. One of these initiatives is the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans to cover institutional fees and students' upkeep.
Tinubu also revealed that the government's technical and vocational education programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications, with 38 technical colleges rehabilitated and students in federal and selected state technical colleges enjoying free tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms. Additionally, his administration had reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), providing for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in the country's university system.
The President further disclosed that his administration was investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools across the country as part of efforts to strengthen medical education and increase the number of healthcare professionals trained in Nigeria. 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.
Tinubu announced that more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning under his administration. He added that the government was investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls, and implementing a new national curriculum that reintroduces Nigerian History into classrooms. The President also announced the development of an interactive A–Z guide to the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
The President urged parents, students, and teachers to visit edu4pbat.ng to familiarise themselves with the available opportunities and programmes, and encouraged Nigerians to report challenges affecting educational institutions in their communities. Tinubu said, "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."
Key points
- President Tinubu worked multiple jobs in the US to finance his education, including driving a taxi.
- The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans.
- Over one million children have returned to learning under Tinubu's administration.
