I Worked As Taxi Driver In US To Fund University Education – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said he worked as a taxi driver and took on various jobs in the United States to finance his university education.

The President disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying his personal struggles while pursuing higher education had shaped his administration’s efforts to make education more accessible to Nigerians.

“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.

“When I eventually got to Chicago, I worked different jobs to support myself and pay my way through university. I know what it means to worry about tuition, accommodation and how to make ends meet while pursuing an education.

“Those experiences have stayed with me. I know what education made possible in my own life, and I believe every Nigerian child deserves that same opportunity, regardless of where they are born or what their parents can afford,” the President said.

Highlighting his administration’s interventions in the education sector, Tinubu said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed more than ₦372 billion in loans to students for tuition and upkeep.

“Through NELFUND, we have provided over ₦372 billion in student loans for institutional fees and upkeep, helping young Nigerians remain in school and pursue their education.

“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 also said more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning.

The President listed teacher development, increased access to education for girls and the introduction of a revised national curriculum, which includes the return of Nigerian History to classrooms, among the priorities of his administration.

“Our children must know where we have come from, understand the country they belong to, and be prepared to take responsibility for its future,” the President added.

Tinubu further disclosed that his administration was committing ₦110 billion to the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools to improve medical education and expand the country’s capacity to train healthcare professionals.

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

“Nigeria needs more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and we must build the capacity to train them here at home,” Mr Tinubu added.

The President urged Nigerians to visit edu4pbat.ng to learn more about the initiative and submit feedback on challenges affecting education in their communities.