President Bola Tinubu used a Wednesday post on his verified X account (@officialABAT) to recount his early days in the United States, when he drove a taxi and took on multiple jobs to fund his university studies. He said the experience of postponing his enrolment for several months to save enough money shaped his belief that “no Nigerian child should be denied the opportunity to fulfil their potential because of poverty or family circumstances.”
Tinubu, who governed Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 before winning the presidency in 2023, explained that after arriving in Chicago he worked various jobs to cover tuition, accommodation and daily living costs. “When I eventually got to Chicago, I worked different jobs to support myself and pay my way through university,” he wrote, adding that those hardships remain vivid in his memory.
Drawing on that personal history, the president highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a concrete response to financial barriers facing students. He said the federal government has disbursed more than N372 billion in loans to cover institutional fees and students’ upkeep, aiming to ensure that a family’s income does not dictate a child’s access to tertiary education.
In addition to university loans, Tinubu announced expanded support for technical and vocational training. Over 2.8 million applications have been received for the federal technical‑vocational programme, and 38 technical colleges have been rehabilitated. Students in these institutions now receive free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms, a move intended to boost enrolment and improve employability.
“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,” Tinubu said, referring to a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities that includes a 40 percent salary increase for academic staff.
The president also disclosed a N110 billion investment to rehabilitate 24 medical schools, noting that nursing enrolment has risen from 28,000 to 115,000 and medical‑dental enrolment from 5,000 to 12,000. He added that more than one million children who were previously out of school have returned to learning through recent government interventions, underscoring education’s central role in his “Renewed Hope” development agenda.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
