I drove taxi in US to fund my university education — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has shared his personal journey to university in the United States, explaining how he earned money as a taxi driver to fund his education. He revealed that he had to postpone starting school for several months to save enough money. The President emphasized that his own experiences fueled his administration's dedication to expanding access to education in Nigeria.

He highlighted that under his leadership, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had disbursed over N372bn in student loans for tuition and upkeep fees. The loan scheme, created in 2024, removed income and guarantor requirements, allowing students to apply without their parents meeting a specified income level or providing guarantors.

The loan repayments commence two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps programme, with repayment linked to employment or income. Tinubu also shared that his administration had prioritized technical and vocational education, attracting over 2.8 million applications and rehabilitating 38 technical colleges. For university education, the government reached an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, increasing academic staff remuneration by 40 per cent and improving university stability.

The President also announced investments in medical education, with N110bn allocated for rehabilitating 24 medical schools, and a rise in nursing and medical enrolments. Tinubu's administration aims to bring education to every Nigerian child, regardless of their background, and welcomes feedback from parents, students, and teachers through the new A–Z platform for the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.