President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that he worked as a taxi driver and took several other jobs in the United States to finance his university education.
Tinubu said he had to postpone starting school for several months after arriving in the US to save enough money to support his education.
The President disclosed this in a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, while highlighting his administration’s achievements and ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector.
According to him, his experience as a young student struggling to pay tuition fees and accommodation expenses 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.
“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.
“Those experiences have stayed with me.”
The President said his personal experience had reinforced his commitment to making education accessible to Nigerian children, irrespective of where they were born or what their parents could afford.
He 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.
Tinubu disclosed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans to cover institutional fees and students’ upkeep.
He said the initiative was designed to help young Nigerians remain in school and complete their education without being forced to abandon their studies because of financial difficulties.
The President also revealed that the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications.
According to him, 38 technical colleges have been rehabilitated, while students in federal and selected state technical colleges now enjoy free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
On the welfare of university lecturers, Tinubu 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 the country’s university system.
He stressed that Nigerian students deserved to complete their academic programmes within the stipulated period without unnecessary disruptions.
“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 stated.
Tinubu 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.
According to him, the country needs more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, making it necessary to expand the capacity of local institutions to train qualified personnel.
The President also 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.
Tinubu said Nigerian children must understand the country’s history, appreciate their national identity and be adequately prepared to contribute to its future development.
He commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and other members of the education team for their contributions to the reforms.
The President also announced the development of an interactive A–Z guide to the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which brings together government programmes, reforms, achievements and opportunities in the education sector.
He urged parents, students and teachers to visit edu4pbat.ng to familiarise themselves with the available opportunities and programmes.
Tinubu also encouraged Nigerians to report challenges affecting educational institutions in their communities, saying their feedback would help the government identify problems and address them.
“Our journey from reform to opportunities and shared prosperity must begin with education,” he said.
“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.”
The President’s latest remarks come days after he concluded a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he performed the lesser Hajj, known as Umrah, and was granted the rare privilege of entering the Holy Kaaba in Makkah to pray.
During the visit, Tinubu expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for granting him and members of his delegation access to the sacred structure.
He said he used the opportunity to pray for peace, unity and prosperity in Nigeria.
Tinubu also disclosed that he had asked Allah for wisdom and resilience to continue leading the country, expressing confidence that his prayers had been answered.
“Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted,” he said.
The President further described his emergence as Nigeria’s leader as a special blessing from Allah, insisting that political authority must be exercised with humility and in accordance with God’s dictates.
He also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic prospects, declaring that the country’s economic foundation was solid and that the economy had emerged from what he described as a dark tunnel.
“We need to build a future for our youth. If we don’t invest in their future, how do we want to be remembered as leaders 50 years from now? That’s the main thing,” Tinubu said.
