President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that no student in Nigeria drops out of a tertiary institution due to financial barriers, revealing that over ₦372 billion has been disbursed in student loans through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
In a statement released on his official X handle as part of the launch of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), President Tinubu shared how his early life experiences as an international student in the United States directly shape his administration’s “Renewed Hope” education agenda.
Reflecting on his journey, President Tinubu shared the hardships he faced working multiple jobs, including driving a taxi to pay for his college tuition and accommodation in 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,” President Tinubu recalled.
“I know what it means to worry about tuition, accommodation, and how to make ends meet while pursuing an education. Those experiences have stayed with me,” he said.
The President stressed that every Nigerian child, irrespective of background or economic standing, deserves access to quality education.
The President commended the dedication of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, to the educational needs of Nigerian students, outlining key sector achievements to include the return of over one million out-of-school children to classrooms and the reintroduction of Nigerian History to basic education.
He also noted that higher education stability has been fortified through an agreement with ASUU securing a 40 percent pay rise for academic staff to eliminate strikes, alongside a ₦110 billion investment in 24 medical schools that expands annual nursing enrollment to 115,000 and medical student slots to 12,000 nationwide.
President Tinubu also called on parents, students, educators, and civil society members to visit edu4pbat.ng to access an interactive A–Z portal outlining available scholarships, loan schemes, teacher support programs, and institutional resources.
“If you are a parent, find out what opportunities are available for your children. If you are a student, explore the programmes you can benefit from. If something is not working as it should in your community, I want to hear about it,” the President added.
The administration reiterated that building capacity to train healthcare professionals and skilled technicians locally remains paramount to achieving long-term economic prosperity.
