I drove taxi to earn money for my education in US, says Tinubu
- President Bola Tinubu shared how he worked multiple jobs in the United States, including driving a taxi, to fund his university education
- Tinubu linked his personal struggles with accessing education to key policy decisions his administration has made in the sector
- The President cited figures on student loans, medical school investment, and nursing enrolment as evidence of his administration's education push
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he drove a taxi and took on various other jobs in the United States to pay for his university education, saying the hardship he faced shaped his government's approach to education funding in Nigeria.
Tinubu made the disclosure in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, where he outlined what his administration has done to widen access to education across the country.
Source: Twitter
He said:
"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."
NELFUND loans and technical education
The President said education remains a central priority of his government and pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a key intervention. NELFUND has so far disbursed over N372 billion in student loans to cover tuition and upkeep for eligible students in public tertiary institutions.
The fund was established under the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, which Tinubu signed into law in April 2024. The legislation removed the family income threshold and guarantor requirement that had previously limited access to the scheme. Under the repayment terms, beneficiaries begin repaying two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps programme, with 10 per cent of their monthly salary deducted at source once employed.
On technical and vocational training, Tinubu said the government's programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications. He added that 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated, and that students in federal and selected state technical colleges now receive free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
University and medical education
Regarding universities, Tinubu said his administration reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities that provides for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff salaries, alongside measures aimed at improving stability across the nation's campuses.
The President also disclosed that the government is investing N110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools to strengthen medical education in the country. Annual nursing enrolment has grown from 28,000 to 115,000, while medical and dental enrolment has risen from 5,000 to 12,000, according to Tinubu.
Read the full statement on X here:
Analyst speaks on Tinubu's chances in 2027
Earlier, political analyst Omotayo Yusuf told Legit.ng that President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election approach differed sharply from his 2023 campaign strategy.
Yusuf said Tinubu was leaning on governors across party lines, including in Anambra and Osun, to secure support ahead of the election.
The analyst raised concerns about balancing campaign duties with governing responsibilities as Tinubu seeks a second term.
Source: Legit.ng
