Tinubu Recalls Working as Taxi Driver to Fund US Education

President Bola Tinubu has recalled working as a taxi driver and taking other jobs to finance his university education in the United States, saying the experience shaped his commitment to expanding access to education in Nigeria.

Tinubu shared the experience in a post on his X account Wednesday while highlighting his administration’s education reforms.

“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 said he later worked several jobs in Chicago to pay his tuition and accommodation, adding that every Nigerian child deserved equal access to educational opportunities regardless of family background.

Highlighting his administration’s interventions, Tinubu said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans for tuition and upkeep.

He added that the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.

Students in federal and selected state technical colleges now receive free tuition, accommodation, textbooks and uniforms, he said.

On university education, Tinubu said his administration had reached an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, including a 40% increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in the sector.

“A four-year course must take four years. Our young people deserve to complete their education on time and get on with their lives,” he said.

The president also disclosed that the Federal Government was investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools.

He said annual nursing enrolment had risen from 28,000 to 115,000, while admission into medical and dental programmes increased from 5,000 to 12,000.

Tinubu further said more than one million out-of-school children had returned to classrooms, adding that his administration was investing in teacher development, girls’ education and a revised national curriculum that restores Nigerian history to schools.

He urged Nigerians to report challenges affecting education in their communities, saying feedback would help the government improve access and address gaps in the sector.

“Our responsibility is to give every Nigerian child a fair chance to fulfil their potential,” he said.