President Bola Tinubu has revealed how he worked as a taxi driver and took up other jobs to finance his university education in the United States, saying the experience influenced his commitment to providing Nigerian children with access to quality education.

Tinubu made the disclosure in a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, recounting how he delayed the start of his studies for several months to save enough money before relocating to Chicago.

The President explained that he had to take up different jobs to support himself and meet his educational expenses while studying in the US.

“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,” he 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.”

Reflecting on his experience, Tinubu said he understood the financial difficulties students encounter in pursuing their academic ambitions, insisting that a child's background should not determine their access to educational opportunities.

He identified education as a major priority of his administration, disclosing that more than N372 billion had been made available to students through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to cover institutional fees and living expenses.

The President further revealed that the government's technical and vocational education programme had attracted over 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had undergone rehabilitation.

He said students in federal and selected state technical colleges were now benefiting from free tuition, boarding facilities, textbooks and uniforms.

On the university system, Tinubu disclosed that his administration had reached a fresh agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which includes a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to promote stability in tertiary institutions.

He maintained that his government was committed to ending unnecessary disruptions to academic activities, stressing that students should graduate within the expected duration of their programmes.

“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 stated.

Tinubu also announced that the Federal Government was committing N110 billion to the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools, while annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000.

According to him, admission into medical and dental programmes had equally risen from 5,000 to 12,000 as part of efforts to improve Nigeria's capacity to produce qualified healthcare professionals.

He added that over one million children who had previously dropped out of school or lacked access to education had returned to classrooms.

The President also highlighted ongoing investments in teacher development, girls' education and the implementation of a revised national curriculum designed to reintroduce Nigerian history into the school system.

Tinubu praised the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and other members of the education team for their roles in driving the reforms.

He urged Nigerians to visit the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative's interactive A–Z platform developed by the Ministry of Education to access information about government programmes and opportunities for students, parents and teachers.

He further encouraged citizens to report challenges affecting schools in their communities, noting that public feedback would help the government identify areas requiring urgent attention.

Reaffirming his commitment to educational development, Tinubu said every Nigerian child must be given a fair opportunity to achieve their aspirations, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.

“Our journey from reform to opportunities and shared prosperity must begin with education.

“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,” he added.