President Bola Tinubu has recounted how he worked as a taxi driver and did other jobs to fund his education in the United States.
It was reported that the President said the experience had shaped his commitment to expanding access to education for Nigerian children.
He made this known in a post on his đť•Ź handle on Wednesday.
Tinubu recalled that he had to delay the start of his studies for several months to save enough money before moving to Chicago.
“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,” he said.
He said every Nigerian child deserved equal opportunities, irrespective of their background or their parents’ financial status.
The president said education remained a top priority of his administration, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, through which over ₦372 billion had been disbursed for school fees and upkeep.
He added that the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted over 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.
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According to him, students in federal and some state technical colleges now enjoy free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
On university education, Tinubu said his government had reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, providing a 40 per cent increase in lecturers’ pay and measures to ensure stability in the system.
“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 said ₦110 billion was being invested in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools, while annual nursing enrolment had risen from 28,000 to 115,000.
He added that admissions into medical and dental programmes had increased from 5,000 to 12,000.
Tinubu also said over one million out-of-school children had returned to classrooms, adding that his administration was investing in teacher training, girl-child education and a new curriculum that reintroduces Nigerian history.
He commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad; and their team for implementing the reforms.
The President urged Nigerians to explore the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through an interactive platform developed by the ministry and to report challenges in their communities.
“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.
“We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through,” Tinubu said.
