“I Worked as a Taxi Driver in US to Pay My University Fees” — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has recounted how he labored as a taxi driver and took up totally different jobs within the United States to finance his college training, saying the expertise formed his dedication to increasing entry to training in Nigeria.

The President disclosed that after arriving within the US as a younger man, he needed to postpone beginning faculty for a number of months to avoid wasting sufficient cash for his training.

Tinubu shared the expertise in a put up on his X deal with on Wednesday whereas highlighting his administration’s achievements and ongoing reforms within the training sector.

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He mentioned he understood the monetary challenges college students face as a result of he had personally struggled to pay tuition, safe lodging and meet different bills whereas pursuing his research.

“When I first arrived within the United States as a younger man, I drove a taxi to earn cash for my training. I even needed to postpone beginning faculty for a number of months to avoid wasting sufficient.

“When I eventually got to Chicago, I worked different jobs to support myself and pay my way through university,” he mentioned.

The President added that his experiences had strengthened his perception that each Nigerian baby deserved entry to training, regardless of their background or their mother and father’ monetary capability.

Highlighting his administration’s interventions, Tinubu mentioned the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had supplied over N372 billion in scholar loans to cowl institutional charges and maintenance.

NELFUND was established beneath the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, signed into legislation by Tinubu in April 2024, to offer interest-free monetary help to eligible college students in public tertiary establishments.

The scheme covers institutional costs and upkeep allowances, with accredited charges paid on to establishments and maintenance funds transferred to beneficiaries’ financial institution accounts.

Tinubu additionally disclosed that the federal government’s technical and vocational training programme had attracted over 2.8 million purposes, whereas 38 technical faculties had been rehabilitated.

According to him, college students in federal and chosen state technical faculties now take pleasure in free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.

On college training, the President mentioned his administration had reached a brand new settlement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), offering for a 40 per cent improve in tutorial workers remuneration and measures to enhance stability within the college system.

He confused that college students ought to be capable of full their programmes throughout the stipulated interval.

“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,” he mentioned.

Tinubu additional disclosed that the Federal Government was investing N110 billion within the rehabilitation of 24 medical colleges to strengthen medical training.

He mentioned annual nursing enrolment had elevated from 28,000 to 115,000, whereas medical and dental enrolment had risen from 5,000 to 12,000.

The President additionally mentioned over a million kids who have been beforehand out of faculty had returned to lecture rooms, including that his administration was investing in instructor improvement and increasing academic alternatives for women.

He famous {that a} new nationwide curriculum was being carried out to revive Nigerian History to lecture rooms.

Tinubu recommended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and different members of the training group for his or her contributions to the reforms.

He additionally introduced an interactive A–Z platform for the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, which brings collectively data on reforms, programmes, achievements and alternatives throughout the training system.

The President urged Nigerians to go to edu4pbat.ng to discover the initiative and supply suggestions on challenges affecting training of their communities.

He maintained that each Nigerian baby deserved a good alternative to fulfil their potential, no matter their circumstances of beginning.