From Taxi Driver In Chicago To President: Tinubu Shares Grass To Grace Story Behind N372bn NELFUND Loan

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has opened up on his humble beginnings in the United States, revealing how he survived as a taxi driver to pay his university fees in Chicago.

The President said the hardship he faced as a young Nigerian student abroad is what pushed him to create the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, to ensure no Nigerian child drops out of school due to lack of money.

Speaking through a statement shared on his official X account on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Tinubu recounted how life was tough when he first landed in America.

He explained that he had to delay his admission for months because he had no money for tuition, and had to drive taxi cabs on the streets to save up.

According to him, even after he finally gained admission in Chicago, he had to do multiple menial jobs to survive and pay his fees.

Tinubu stressed that he knows exactly how it feels for a student to worry about school fees, house rent and feeding at the same time while trying to study.

That experience, he said, is why his administration prioritizes education and created NELFUND.

Tinubu revealed that so far, NELFUND has disbursed more than N372 billion to students across the country to cover school fees and upkeep allowances.

He added that his government has also made technical college education free, with free tuition, free hostel accommodation, free textbooks and free uniforms for students in federal and selected state technical colleges.

The President disclosed that over 2.8 million young Nigerians have applied for the new Technical and Vocational Education Training programme, TVET, while his government has renovated 38 technical colleges nationwide.

On university education, Tinubu announced that the Federal Government has signed a fresh agreement with ASUU, which includes a 40 percent increase in salaries for lecturers and other measures to end incessant strikes.

He insisted that Nigerian students must be allowed to graduate on time, saying a four-year course must be four years.

Beyond student loans, Tinubu said his administration has brought back over one million out-of-school children into classrooms, invested heavily in training teachers, promoted girl-child education and reintroduced Nigerian history into the national curriculum.

In the health education sector, he said the government is spending N110 billion to rehabilitate 24 medical schools in the country.

He noted that admission for nursing students has jumped from 28,000 to 115,000 yearly, while medical and dental admission has increased from 5,000 to 12,000, to produce more doctors and health workers for Nigeria.

Tinubu called on Nigerians to visit the newly launched Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, an A to Z interactive platform created by the Ministry of Education, where parents, students and teachers can find all federal government education programmes and opportunities.

He also asked citizens to report any education challenges in their communities so government can quickly respond.

The President praised the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa and Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad for driving his education reforms.

He concluded that education is the foundation for Nigeria’s journey from reforms to shared prosperity, and that no child should be limited by poor background.