President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed how his personal struggles as an undergraduate in the United States, including driving a taxi and taking up menial jobs to put himself through school, have shaped his administration’s drive to expand access to quality education across Nigeria.
Speaking in an official statement released on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, President Tinubu reflected on the financial hurdles he faced abroad, emphasizing that the circumstances of a child’s birth should never dictate the limits of their ambitions.
Recounting his earlier years in America during the 1970s, where he studied Accounting at Chicago State University after delaying his education to work, the President noted that surviving tough conditions molded his determination to ensure no Nigerian child is denied an education due to poverty.
”Our journey from reform to opportunities and shared prosperity must begin with education,” President Tinubu declared. He explained that his firsthand experience of balancing demanding jobs while pursuing academic qualifications instilled in him a deep empathy for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Highlighting ongoing federal interventions, the President pointed out that key reforms, such as free tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms for students in federal technical colleges, alongside national student loan initiative were designed to lighten the burden on Nigerian families.
Presidential media aides affirmed that the administration remains committed to scaling up social safety nets and infrastructure in the education sector.
”Your feedback will help us identify problems and address them,” Tinubu added. “We have more work to do, and I am determined to see it through.”
