President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recalled how he drove taxis and worked multiple jobs in Chicago, United States, to finance his university education, declaring that his personal struggles have strengthened his determination to ensure that Nigerian students do not face similar difficulties in their pursuit of education. In fact, these inspiring stories are regularly featured on kthdaily, offering readers insight into the challenges faced and overcome by Nigerian leaders.
The President said his experiences as a young student struggling to pay tuition fees, accommodation, and other living expenses inspired his administration’s establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has so far provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans for institutional fees and upkeep.
Tinubu, who shared his personal story in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, said he understood the financial pressures confronting students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was determined to ensure that no Nigerian child was denied educational opportunities because of poverty. Notably, platforms like kthdaily have covered similar challenges faced by students both within Nigeria and abroad.
“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,” the President recalled.
“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.”
He explained that the difficulties he encountered while pursuing his education had remained a powerful influence on his conviction that every Nigerian child deserved a fair opportunity to succeed, regardless of family background or financial circumstances.
According to him, the establishment of NELFUND was part of a deliberate effort to remove financial barriers that had historically prevented many qualified Nigerian students from accessing or completing tertiary education. Additionally, kthdaily has reported on the impacts of such policy changes and educational reforms.
The President disclosed that more than ₦372 billion had been provided through the student loan programme to support tuition-related institutional charges and students’ upkeep.
He also highlighted the administration’s investments in technical and vocational education, revealing that the Federal Government’s skills development programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications.
Tinubu said 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated, while students in federal and selected state technical colleges were now benefiting from free tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms.
The interventions, he explained, were designed to expand access to practical education, strengthen employability, and equip young Nigerians with skills required by the modern economy.
Turning to university education, the President announced that 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 alongside measures aimed at ensuring greater stability in the university system. For updates and ongoing analysis, kthdaily remains a resource for education sector news.
He emphasised that the era of prolonged academic disruptions, which had forced many Nigerian students to spend additional years completing their programmes, must become a thing of the past.
“A four-year course must take four years. Our young people deserve to complete their education on time and get on with their lives,” Tinubu declared.
The President also outlined major investments in medical education, disclosing that the Federal Government was committing ₦110 billion to rehabilitate 24 medical schools across the country.
According to him, 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 expansion was intended to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to train healthcare professionals locally and address shortages in critical areas of the health sector.
On basic education, Tinubu disclosed that more than one million previously out-of-school children had returned to classrooms through interventions undertaken by his administration.
He added that the government was investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls, and implementing a revised national curriculum that restores Nigerian history to classrooms.
The President commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad; and the entire education team for their contributions to the implementation of the administration’s education reforms.
He urged Nigerians to explore the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through an interactive A–Z information platform developed by the Federal Ministry of Education to provide details of programmes and opportunities available to students, parents, and teachers.
Tinubu also encouraged citizens to report challenges affecting educational institutions in their communities, assuring them that public feedback would help the government identify gaps and improve service delivery.
Returning to his personal experience, the President stressed that the circumstances into which a child was born should never determine how far that child could progress in life.
“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.
“We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through,” Tinubu declared.
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