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Tinubu: I Drove Taxi, Did Different Odd Jobs to Survive at the University in America
Breaking | 7 hours ago
• Returns to Abuja after Umrah
•Tasks Nigerians to tell him about things not working well in their areas, promises to fix identified problems
• Insists nation’s journey from reform to shared prosperity must begin with education, justifies introduction of NELFUND
•APC lists Tinubu’s education milestone, highlights $552 million for basic education, technical colleges’ expansion
• Recalls FG budgeted record N3.52 trillion for education in 2026
Deji Elumoye and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, reminisced on his student days in the United States, and recalled how he drove taxi and did different odd jobs to pay his bills while his university education lasted.
In a post on X, @OfficialPBAT, Tinubu also challenged Nigerians to give him feedback about things that were not working properly in their areas, pledging to fix identified problems.
The president departed King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday for Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, after the successful completion of his Umrah (Lesser Hajj) in the Holy city of Makkah.
In the post on X, he justified the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) through which over N372 billion had been disbursed as students’ loans to young Nigerians, and spoke extensively about his student days
He told Nigerians, “If something is not working as it should in your community, I want to hear about it. Your feedback will help us identify problems and address them.”
Focussing on his economic reforms, Tinubu said Nigeria’s journey from reform to shared prosperity must begin with education.
In the lengthy post on why no Nigerian should be denied education due to lack of fund, Tinubu stated, “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.
“This is one reason education remains a major priority of our Renewed Hope administration. Through NELFUND, we have provided over N372 billion in student loans for institutional fees and upkeep, helping young Nigerians remain in school and pursue their education.”
Tinubu also stated, “Our technical and vocational education programme has attracted over 2.8 million applications. We have rehabilitated 38 technical colleges, while students in federal and selected state technical colleges now benefit from free school fees, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms.”
He announced, “We have reached a new agreement with ASUU, providing for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in our 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!”
Tinubu said, “In medical education, we are investing N110 billion in rehabilitating 24 medical schools. Annual nursing enrolment has increased from 28,000 to 115,000, while medical and dental enrolment has 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 also spoke to the out-of-school children issue, saying, “Over one million children who were previously out of school have been returned to learning. We are investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls, and implementing a new national curriculum that restores Nigerian History to our 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.
“I commend the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa @DrTunjiAlausa, Minister of State, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad @Suwaiba_Said, and the entire education team @NigEducation for their dedication to this important work.
“I am particularly pleased that the team has developed an interactive A–Z of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), bringing together the reforms, programmes, achievements and opportunities across our education system.”
The president said, “I invite every Nigerian to visit edu4pbat.ng and explore the A–Z of NESRI. If you are a parent, find out what opportunities are available for your children. If you are a student, explore the programmes you can benefit from. If you are a teacher, see what support is available.
“And if something is not working as it should in your community, I want to hear about it. Your feedback will help us identify problems and address them. 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. We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through.”
Further rolling out his scorecard in the education sector in the last three and a half years, the president said his government had expanded access to learning, improved teachers’ welfare, and stabilised the academic calendar across higher institutions in the country.
Spokesperson of All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Dele Aleke, who disclosed the president’s record in a release, stated that the government’s interventions covered basic and secondary education, technical and vocational training, and tertiary education.