By Faith Chondol
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says his experience working as a taxi driver in the United States to fund his education influenced his decision to establish the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Tinubu disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, while outlining his administration’s education reforms and efforts to expand access to learning.
The President said he postponed starting school for several months to save enough money before moving to Chicago, where he worked different jobs to pay his university expenses.
“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 added that his experience of struggling to pay tuition and accommodation costs had strengthened his belief that every Nigerian child should have access to education, regardless of family background or financial circumstances.
Tinubu said NELFUND had provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans to cover institutional fees and students’ upkeep.
He also said students in federal and selected state technical colleges were benefiting from free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms under the government’s education initiatives.
According to the President, the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.
Tinubu further disclosed that his administration had reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which includes a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures aimed at improving stability in the university system.
He said the government was committed to ensuring that students completed their programmes within the stipulated period.
“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 said more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning, while the government was investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls and introducing a revised national curriculum that restores Nigerian history to classrooms.
On healthcare education, Tinubu said the Federal Government was investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools.
He added 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.
The President urged Nigerians to explore the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through an interactive A–Z platform developed by the Federal Ministry of Education to learn about available programmes and opportunities for students, parents and teachers.
He also encouraged citizens to report challenges affecting education in their communities to help the government identify gaps and improve service delivery.
Tinubu commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad; and other officials involved in implementing the administration’s education reforms.
He said education remained central to the government’s ambition to expand opportunities and promote shared prosperity.
“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,” the President said.
“We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through.”
Source: President Bola Tinubu’s post on X, as reported by GISTSMATE Media.
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