I Drove Taxi in US to Fund My Education, Worked Several Jobs – Tinubu

Abdulhameed Sherif · Politics · Nov 4, 2026

President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he drove a taxi and worked multiple jobs in the United States to fund his university education, saying the experience inspired the creation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

President Bola Tinubu has recounted how he worked as a taxi driver and took up several other jobs in the United States to finance his university education, saying the experience shaped his commitment to expanding educational opportunities for Nigerian children.

In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, the President said he had to postpone starting school for several months to save enough money before eventually moving to Chicago, where he worked different jobs to pay his way through university.

“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,” Tinubu said. “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”.

The President said his personal experience influenced the creation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that every Nigerian child deserves equal opportunities regardless of their background or their parents’ financial circumstances.

“The circumstances of a child’s birth should never determine the limits of their ambition,” he said.

Education Reforms Underway

Tinubu disclosed that NELFUND had provided over ₦372 billion in student loans for institutional fees and upkeep, helping young Nigerians remain in school. He also revealed that the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.

According to the President, students in federal and selected state technical colleges now benefit from free school fees, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms.

On university education, Tinubu said his administration had reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), providing for a 40 percent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in the university system.

He stressed that Nigerian universities must ensure students complete their programmes within the stipulated period. “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.

Healthcare and Out-of-School Children

The President also announced that the Federal Government was investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools, while annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000. Enrolment in medical and dental programmes had also risen from 5,000 to 12,000.

Tinubu further revealed that over one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning, adding that his administration was investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls, and implementing a new national curriculum that restores Nigerian history to classrooms.

The President commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and the entire education team for their efforts in implementing the administration’s reforms.

He also urged Nigerians to explore the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through an interactive A–Z platform developed by the education ministry, saying it would provide information on government programmes and opportunities available to parents, students, and teachers.

“Our journey from reform to opportunities and shared prosperity must begin with education,” Tinubu said. “We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through”.