Tinubu Says Stock Market Trading in Classrooms Will Build Prosperous Nation, Yet Millions of Nigerians Cannot Afford School Fees

President Bola Tinubu has called for the integration of stock market trading and capital market education into the curriculum of Nigerian universities, saying that teaching undergraduates how to participate in the stock market would build a nation of success and prosperity. Speaking during a meeting with the board and management of the Nigerian Exchange Group at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu said the stock market’s performance reflected the broader direction of the economy and validated the administration’s economic reforms. The NGX delegation, led by Chairman Umaru Kwairanga and Group Managing Director Temi Popoola, briefed the president on the growth of the capital market since he assumed office in May 2023. Popoola said the value of listed equities had increased from about N30 trillion in 2023 to N160 trillion, while the NGX all-share index had risen from about 52,000 basis points to 244,000 basis points.

“If the stock market is doing well, then we are doing well,” Tinubu said. “We can teach this in classrooms to our undergraduates. If they can be in the classroom without the harrowing feeling of how to pay and what to pay, then we can build a nation of success and prosperity.” Tinubu said the performance of the stock market reflected the broader direction of the economy and validated the administration’s economic reforms. He commended the economic management team, including Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Budget Atiku Bagudu, Central Bank Governor Yemi Cardoso, and National Revenue Service Chairman Zacch Adedeji, for implementing reforms that had stabilised the economy.

The NGX CEO told the president that the stock market rally had created substantial wealth for investors, estimating that between 500,000 and 900,000 millionaires had been created as a result of the reforms. Popoola also said the exchange expected the value of listed equities to increase further to N230 trillion before the end of the year, driven by new listings. Tinubu also said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited would be reformed and listed on the capital market.

But for millions of Nigerians, the president’s vision of a prosperous nation built on stock market trading is a cruel joke. The same government that is now talking about teaching undergraduates how to trade stocks has presided over an education system that is failing millions of Nigerian children. Nigeria currently has an estimated 18.5 million out-of-school children, nearly one in every five out-of-school children in the entire world. Total public investment in education stands at only 2.14 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 2026, falling well below the United Nations’ recommended four to six per cent of GDP. The 2026 fiscal budget for education dropped from 7.3 per cent allocated in 2025 to just 6.1 per cent of the total budget.

The president’s proposal also comes as the Federal Government has approved an 82 per cent increase in WAEC and NECO registration fees, raising the cost from N27,500 to N50,000 per candidate before public outcry forced a suspension. The same government that wants to teach undergraduates how to trade stocks has also imposed a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions and then immediately approved 33 new universities. The same government that wants to build a nation of prosperity has failed to secure schools from terrorists and bandits, with over 124 schoolchildren and students abducted in Oyo, Borno and Zamfara states between May and July 2026 alone.

If We Can Teach Stock Market Trading in the Classroom to Our Undergraduates. We Can Build a Nation Filled with Prosperity

~ President Bola Tinubu says pic.twitter.com/YokLkR3C0I

— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) August 8, 2026

Tinubu’s proposal to teach stock market trading in classrooms is not a solution to Nigeria’s education crisis. It is a distraction. It is a photo opportunity. It is a way for the president to appear forward-thinking while ignoring the systemic issues that have crippled the education sector. The president’s vision of a nation of prosperity built on stock market trading ignores the reality that most Nigerian undergraduates cannot afford to trade stocks, that most Nigerian families cannot afford to send their children to school, and that most Nigerian students cannot even access the basic education they need to participate in the economy.

The president’s proposal also ignores the fact that the stock market rally he is celebrating has been driven largely by the naira’s devaluation and inflation, not by genuine economic growth. The NGX’s increase in value from N30 trillion to N160 trillion is a reflection of the naira’s collapse, not a sign of prosperity. While the stock market has created wealth for a small number of investors, the vast majority of Nigerians have been pushed deeper into poverty. The World Bank has revealed that poverty rose sharply from 56 per cent in 2023 to 61 per cent in 2024, peaking at 63 per cent in 2025. PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that an additional two million Nigerians will fall below the poverty line in 2026, bringing the total to 141 million people, the highest rate ever recorded.

The president’s proposal to teach stock market trading in classrooms is a classic example of Tinubu’s approach to governance: grand promises without delivery, lofty ideas without implementation, and a complete disconnect from the realities of ordinary Nigerians. While the president talks about building a nation of prosperity, millions of Nigerians are struggling to afford food, shelter, and healthcare. While the president celebrates the stock market rally, 141 million Nigerians are living in poverty. While the president talks about teaching undergraduates how to trade stocks, 18.5 million Nigerian children are out of school.

The president’s proposal is not a solution to Nigeria’s education crisis. It is an insult to every Nigerian child who cannot afford to go to school, to every Nigerian family that is struggling to survive, and to every Nigerian who has been left behind by the president’s economic reforms. The man who promised free education and student loans now wants to teach stock market trading in classrooms. The man who promised to lift Nigerians out of poverty now wants to create millionaires through the stock market. The contradictions are glaring. The hypocrisy is staggering. And Nigerians are not fooled.

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