RismadarVoice Reporters
November 3, 2026
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu graduated with first-class honours in accounting from Chicago State University in the United States.
Alausa asserted while speaking to the media on Tuesday, defending the President’s academic qualifications and responding to questions about his performance in office.
The minister said he had lived in Chicago for nearly three decades, visited the university several times and interacted with individuals who studied alongside Tinubu.
Asked whether the President graduated with first-class honours, Alausa responded affirmatively, maintaining that Tinubu possessed strong academic credentials.
He also described the President as highly intelligent and defended his leadership record.
During the interview, the minister was questioned about Nigeria’s economic challenges, poverty and the number of children outside the formal education system.
Alausa argued that greater attention should be given to what he described as the achievements of Tinubu’s administration.
His remarks have renewed attention to the President’s academic records, which became the subject of legal and political disputes during the 2023 presidential election.
Chicago State University previously confirmed that Tinubu attended the institution between August 1977 and June 1979.
In a letter dated June 27, 2022, the university stated that he graduated on June 22, 1979, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in accounting.
The university also confirmed that the degree was awarded with honours.
However, the records reviewed do not expressly identify the qualification as a first-class degree, making that specific classification a claim by the education minister rather than an independently verified fact.
In 2023, the university released Tinubu’s academic records following legal proceedings initiated by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the United States.
The institution’s registrar subsequently confirmed Tinubu’s attendance and graduation during court testimony.
The documents attracted public debate over the authenticity and presentation of the President’s academic credentials.
An October 2023 investigation by the BBC found no evidence supporting allegations that Tinubu had forged the Chicago State University diploma submitted to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission.
Nevertheless, the BBC’s findings did not establish that Tinubu graduated with first-class honours.
While the university has confirmed his graduation and honours status, Alausa’s more specific assertion would require additional clarification from the institution or supporting academic records.
