President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he worked as a taxi driver in the United States to finance his education, recalling how he postponed starting school for several months to save enough money before pursuing his university studies.
The Tinubu taxi driver in US revelation has drawn attention to the Nigerian president’s early struggles as a student and the personal experiences he says influenced his commitment to expanding access to education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Tinubu shared the account on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in a statement published on his official X account while highlighting his administration’s education policies and the importance of making higher education accessible to Nigerian students, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Tinubu Reveals His Experience as a Taxi Driver in America
According to the President, his journey through higher education was not without financial difficulties. Before beginning his university education, he had to find ways to support himself and accumulate enough money to cover his expenses.
Recalling his experience, Tinubu said:
“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.”
He explained that his financial responsibilities did not end after he eventually began his studies.
“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.”
The President added that the experience had remained with him over the years, giving him a personal understanding of the financial pressures students face while trying to complete their education.
His account places particular emphasis on the difficulties of financing education without sufficient financial support and the importance of creating opportunities for students from different economic backgrounds.
Tinubu’s Education and Early Career in the United States
Tinubu’s educational background provides further context to his latest revelation.
According to his biography published on the All Progressives Congress (APC) official website, he attended Southwest College, now known as Richard J. Daley College, in Chicago before proceeding to Chicago State University.
He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, specialising in Accounting and Management.
Following his university education, Tinubu worked with American companies, including Arthur Andersen, Deloitte and GTE Services Corporation.
He subsequently returned to Nigeria, where he joined Mobil Oil Nigeria and built a career in the corporate sector before entering politics.
His professional background in accounting and corporate management later became part of his public profile as he moved into political leadership.
However, his latest account offers another perspective on his years in America, highlighting the jobs he says he undertook to finance his education rather than focusing solely on his academic and professional achievements.
How His Experience Connects to NELFUND
Tinubu linked his experience as a working student to his administration’s decision to prioritise education financing through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
NELFUND was established to provide financial assistance to eligible Nigerian students pursuing higher education in approved institutions.
The programme provides zero-interest loans to help beneficiaries meet institutional charges and other approved educational expenses, including upkeep allowances.
The President said his experiences had strengthened his belief that financial circumstances should not determine whether a young person gets an opportunity to pursue higher 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 stated.
Tinubu disclosed that NELFUND had provided more than ₦372 billion in student loans for institutional fees and upkeep.
The figure highlights the scale of funding the administration says has gone into supporting students through the programme.
The initiative is particularly significant for students whose families struggle to meet the increasing costs associated with tertiary education.
Tinubu Highlights Other Education Reforms
Beyond student loans, the President used the opportunity to highlight other education-related interventions introduced by his administration.
He disclosed that students in federal and selected state technical colleges were benefiting from free tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.
He also said the government’s technical and vocational education programme had attracted more than 2.8 million applications, while 38 technical colleges had been rehabilitated.
These interventions form part of the administration’s wider efforts to improve access to education and technical skills development.
The focus on vocational education is also intended to expand opportunities for young Nigerians who wish to acquire practical skills and pursue employment or entrepreneurship.
Why Tinubu’s Taxi Driver Revelation Matters
Tinubu’s disclosure brings attention to a less-discussed aspect of his educational journey: the financial sacrifices he says he made to complete his studies in America.
His experience also provides context for his administration’s position that financial difficulties should not prevent qualified Nigerian students from accessing higher education.
However, the effectiveness of student financing ultimately depends not only on the amount disbursed but also on how easily eligible students can access the loans and how efficiently the programme supports them throughout their studies.
For thousands of young Nigerians facing financial challenges in tertiary institutions, the central issue remains whether available support can make the difference between abandoning their education and completing their studies.
By recalling his time as a taxi driver in America, Tinubu has presented his own educational experience as part of the motivation behind his administration’s student financing policy.
