By Divine Sam
President Bola Tinubu has recounted how he worked as a taxi driver and took up other jobs in the United States to raise money for his university education, saying the experience shaped his belief in making education accessible to every Nigerian child.
The President said he had to delay his admission for several months after arriving in the US because he needed time to save enough money to finance his studies.
Tinubu made this known in a post on his X handle on Wednesday while highlighting his administration’s interventions and ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector.
Reflecting on his early struggles as an international student, the President said, “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 his administration remained committed to improving access to education, noting that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed over N372 billion in student loans to support institutional fees and students’ upkeep.
NELFUND was established under the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, signed into law by Tinubu in April of that year. The initiative provides interest-free loans to eligible students in public tertiary institutions across the country.
Under the scheme, approved institutional fees are paid directly to students’ schools, while maintenance allowances are transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The legislation also removed the previous family income threshold and guarantor requirement, making it possible for eligible students to access the loans without meeting a specified parental income level or providing guarantors.
Beneficiaries are expected to commence repayment two years after completing their National Youth Service Corps programme. For those in employment, repayment is structured around income, with 10 per cent of their monthly salaries deducted at source.
On technical and vocational education, Tinubu disclosed that the government’s programme had received more than 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had undergone rehabilitation.
He added that students in federal and selected state technical colleges now benefit from free tuition, accommodation, textbooks and uniforms.
The President also highlighted developments in university education, revealing that 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 aimed at ensuring stability in the university system.
Emphasising the need for students to graduate within the stipulated period, Tinubu said, “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 further disclosed that the Federal Government was committing N110 billion to the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools as part of efforts to strengthen medical training and improve healthcare manpower development.
According to him, annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000, while admissions into medical and dental programmes 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 the classroom, while his administration was expanding teacher development programmes and creating more educational opportunities for girls.
He noted that a new national curriculum was also being introduced to reintroduce Nigerian History into schools, stressing the importance of helping young people understand the country’s past and their responsibilities towards its future.
“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 officials involved in implementing the administration’s education policies.
He also announced the launch of an interactive A–Z platform under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, designed to provide information on government reforms, programmes, achievements and opportunities within the education sector.
Tinubu encouraged parents, students, teachers and other stakeholders to visit edu4pbat.ng to understand available opportunities and provide feedback on challenges confronting schools and communities.
He said public feedback would help the government identify gaps and improve the delivery of education across the country.
Reaffirming his position on equal access to education, the President said a child’s background or circumstances of birth should never determine how far they could go in life, insisting that every Nigerian child deserved a fair chance to achieve their ambitions.
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