Tinubu Best Friend Nigerian Students, Lecturers Could Ever Have — Reno Omokri
Former presidential aide and political commentator, Reno Omokri, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the best friend Nigerian students and university lecturers could ever have, citing what he called improved stability in the nation’s higher education sector.
Omokri made the statement in a post shared on social media, where he argued that Tinubu’s administration is the only government in Nigeria’s history that has not experienced a prolonged nationwide strike by university lecturers.
According to him, since 1973 when the National Association of University Teachers—later transformed into the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)—embarked on a national strike, no Nigerian administration has lasted more than one year without facing a nationwide strike action by university lecturers, except the current Tinubu-led government.
He stated that under Tinubu, students can now complete their academic programmes without disruptions, adding that a four-year course is now guaranteed to remain four years.
“As a student, have you experienced nationwide strikes by ASUU in the last three years? Never! You can plan your life under this President,” Omokri said.
He further claimed that lecturers are better paid under the Tinubu administration, while many students are benefiting from the Federal Government’s student loan programme through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Omokri noted that nearly one million students are already benefiting from the interest-free loan scheme, following the signing of the Student Loan Bill into law by President Tinubu on June 12, 2023.
He also attributed Nigeria’s improved ranking in education to increased government investment in the sector, noting that 21 Nigerian universities were listed among the top 54 institutions in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
The former presidential aide further stated that the Tinubu administration has allocated significant funding to education, ranking it among the top sectors in national budget allocations, aside from defence and security.
He added that the Federal Government has reportedly built more than 20 new schools across the country while also maintaining existing educational institutions.
Omokri insisted that no former Nigerian leader has made similar achievements in the education sector, describing the Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda as a practical reality rather than mere political rhetoric.
He, however, acknowledged that his remarks may attract criticism, but maintained that the achievements he listed cannot be disputed.
“Renewed Hope is not an agenda. It is a tangible and actionable reality for millions of Nigerian students and thousands of university lecturers,” Omokri stated.
President Tinubu’s administration has continued to push reforms in the education sector, including funding initiatives and programmes aimed at improving access to tertiary education and reducing disruptions in academic activities.
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