President Bola Tinubu has recalled how he worked as a taxi driver and took up different 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 said he had to postpone starting school for several months after arriving in the United States to save enough money for his education.
Tinubu disclosed this in a post on his official X handle on Wednesday while highlighting his administration’s education sector reforms and achievements.
“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.
The President said his personal experiences informed his administration’s decision to make education a major priority under its Renewed Hope agenda.
He disclosed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had provided more than N372 billion in student loans to cover institutional fees and upkeep, helping students remain in school.
On technical and vocational education, Tinubu said the 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 benefit from free school fees, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
The President also said 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 universities.
“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.
Tinubu further disclosed that his administration was investing N110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools.
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.
According to him, Nigeria needs more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, making it necessary to strengthen the country’s capacity to train them locally.
On basic education, the President said more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning.
He added that the government was investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls and implementing a new national curriculum that restores Nigerian History to classrooms.
“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.
Tinubu commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and the education team for their efforts in implementing the reforms.
He also highlighted the development of an interactive A–Z of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which brings together reforms, programmes, achievements and opportunities across the education system.
The President urged Nigerians to visit edu4pbat.ng to explore the initiative, identify available educational opportunities and provide feedback on challenges affecting schools and communities.
He said feedback from parents, students and teachers would help the government identify problems and address them.
“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.
Boluwatife Enome
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