President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding access to education, highlighting over ₦372 billion in student loans, the rehabilitation of technical colleges and increased funding for medical education. The President stated this in a post on his X handle, where he recalled his experience working multiple jobs,……
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding access to education, highlighting over ₦372 billion in student loans, the rehabilitation of technical colleges and increased funding for medical education.
The President stated this in a post on his X handle, where he recalled his experience working multiple jobs, including driving a taxi, to finance his education in the United States.
Tinubu said his personal struggles with tuition, accommodation and other expenses had shaped his belief that every Nigerian child deserved access to quality education, regardless of their background or financial circumstances.
“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.
“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.
“Those experiences have stayed with me. I know what education made possible in my own life, and I believe every Nigerian child deserves that same opportunity, regardless of where they are born or what their parents can afford,” he said.
The President said education remained a major priority of his administration, noting that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans to cover institutional fees and upkeep.
He added that the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted over 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.
According to him, students in federal and selected state technical colleges now benefit from free school fees, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
Tinubu also announced a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), providing for a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in the university system.
“We have reached a new agreement with ASUU, providing for a 40% increase in academic staff remuneration and measures to improve stability in our universities.
“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,” he said.
On medical education, Tinubu disclosed that his administration was investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 24 medical schools.
He said annual nursing enrolment had increased from 28,000 to 115,000, while medical and dental enrolment had risen from 5,000 to 12,000.
” Nigeria needs more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and we must build the capacity to train them here at home,” he said.
The President further disclosed that more than one million children who were previously out of school had returned to learning.
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He said the government was also investing in teacher development, expanding educational opportunities for girls and implementing a new national curriculum that restores Nigerian History to classrooms.
“Our children must know where we have come from, understand the country they belong to, and be prepared to take responsibility for its future,” he said.
Tinubu 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 highlighted the development of an interactive A–Z of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which brings together reforms, programmes, achievements and opportunities across the education sector.
The President urged Nigerians to visit edu4pbat.ng to explore the initiative and identify opportunities available to parents, students and teachers.
“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 you are a teacher, see what support is available.
“And if something is not working as it should in your community, I want to hear about it. Your feedback will help us identify problems and address them,” he said.
He added that education was central to the administration’s vision of reform, opportunities and shared prosperity.
“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,” Tinubu said.
