President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recounted how he worked as a taxi driver and took up other jobs in the United States to finance his university education, saying the experience influenced his commitment to expanding access to education in Nigeria.
The President made the disclosure in a statement shared on his official X account on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, while outlining his administration’s education policies and programmes.
Tinubu said that when he first arrived in the United States as a young man, he had to postpone starting school for several months to save enough money to support his studies.
“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.
He explained that after moving to Chicago, he worked different jobs to meet his educational and living expenses while attending university.
The President said those experiences helped him understand the financial pressure students face when trying to pay tuition, secure accommodation and meet other basic needs.
According to him, every Nigerian child should have access to education regardless of their family’s financial circumstances or place of birth.
Tinubu pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the initiatives introduced by his administration to reduce financial barriers to higher education.
He said the scheme had provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans to cover institutional fees and upkeep.
The President also highlighted the government’s technical and vocational education programme, which he said had attracted more than 2.8 million applications. He added that 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated, with students in federal and selected state technical colleges benefiting from free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
On university education, Tinubu cited an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which provides for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures intended to improve stability across the university system.
He also said the Federal Government was investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools. Tinubu further disclosed that annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000, while enrolment in medical and dental programmes had risen from 5,000 to 12,000.
He said the government was also working to return out-of-school children to classrooms, improve teacher development and expand educational opportunities for girls.
The President maintained that education should give young Nigerians a fair opportunity to fulfil their ambitions, regardless of their backgrounds.
His comments have placed renewed attention on the role of student financing and the challenges faced by young people seeking higher education in Nigeria.