TINUBU LINKS PERSONAL EDUCATION STRUGGLES TO NIGERIA'S ₦372 BILLION STUDENT LOAN INITIATIVE.
Recalling how he worked as a taxi driver and took on different jobs to finance his university education in the United States, President Bola Tinubu says his personal experience inspired efforts to reduce financial barriers to higher education in Nigeria.
Abuja,Nigeria. — President Bola Tinubu has highlighted his personal struggles in financing his university education as one of the experiences that influenced the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a government initiative designed to expand access to higher education.
In a message shared on his official X account on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the Nigerian leader explained that his determination to make education more accessible was shaped by the financial difficulties he encountered as a young student in the United States.
Tinubu recalled that upon arriving in the country, he worked as a taxi driver to raise money for his studies. He later took up other jobs while living in Chicago, where he had to manage tuition payments, accommodation and daily living expenses.
According to the President, financial constraints forced him to postpone the beginning of his university studies for several months while he saved enough money to continue his education.
He said those experiences strengthened his belief that a child's financial background should not determine access to educational opportunities or limit their future ambitions.
Highlighting his administration's efforts to translate this commitment into policy, Tinubu disclosed that more than ₦372 billion had been disbursed through NELFUND in student loans to cover institutional fees and students' upkeep.
The funding is intended to ease financial pressure on students and their families, helping beneficiaries remain in school and continue their academic programmes without the immediate burden of covering all educational expenses.
Figures from NELFUND's Student Loan Disbursement Report, released in October 2026, showed that approximately ₦372.62 billion had been disbursed under the programme as of September 29, 2026.
Of this amount, ₦192.89 billion was paid directly to 319 tertiary institutions to cover institutional fees, while ₦179.73 billion was disbursed to students
