ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu’s remarks on Monday, June 23, 2025, linking Belarusian businessman Alexander Zingman to his university days in Chicago have reignited debate over the President’s academic records and raised fresh questions about Zingman’s presence at a major government programme.
Speaking at the launch of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja, Tinubu introduced Zingman — in attendance at the event — as his “very good friend” and “neighbour,” adding that they “went to the same school in Chicago.”
“To all of you, Alex was my very good neighbour and went to the same school with me in Chicago,” Tinubu said.
“I believe our university will be very proud that we are doing this here today.”
The statement immediately stirred public attention, given the long-running controversies surrounding Tinubu’s academic history and the limited, though controversial, public profile of Zingman, a businessman with reported links to African arms deals and agricultural contracts.
Timeline Discrepancy
Zingman was born in Minsk, Belarus, on 26 November 1966, according to an archived interview published by Ukrainian outlet Day Night TV.
He claimed to have studied at the Belarusian National Polytechnic University from 1985 to 1989, before moving to the United States to attend the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), from 1991 to 1995, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and later obtained a master’s degree.
Tinubu, on the other hand, graduated from Chicago State University (CSU) in 1979 with a degree in accounting.
By the time Tinubu was completing his degree, Zingman would have been just 13 years old — and, based on his own account, still living in the Soviet Union.
CSU and UIC are two separate institutions in the Chicago area.
While Tinubu did not state explicitly that the two attended university simultaneously, his comment that they were “neighbours” and “went to the same school” has prompted scrutiny.
Available public records and Zingman’s own biography do not indicate that he ever attended CSU.
Business Interests and Previous Allegations
Zingman has been a subject of international headlines in recent years.
In March 2021, he was detained in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over alleged involvement in arms trafficking. He was held for 12 days and released without charge, later denying any wrongdoing.
He has also served as the honorary consul of Zimbabwe to Belarus and is linked to AFTRADE DMCC, a Dubai-based company that deals in agricultural and mining equipment across Africa.
On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of AFTRADE DMCC posted photos from the mechanisation programme launch in Abuja, celebrating what it called “a proud milestone” in its partnership with Nigeria.
A proud milestone for AFTRADE DMCC!
Yesterday was held the Launching of the Renewed Hope Mechanization Programme of Nigeria. This is a significant step to agricultural transformation of the country and we are honored to contribute to the innovation and mechanization of Nigeria!🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/todEapruFd— AFTRADE DMCC (@AftradeDmcc) June 24, 2025
Renewed Questions Over Tinubu’s Academic Past
The remarks come amid lingering questions about Tinubu’s academic history. Although Chicago State University has confirmed that Tinubu graduated from the institution, inconsistencies in the documentation he submitted to Nigeria’s electoral body — including certificate formatting and identity discrepancies — have fuelled longstanding controversy.
Tinubu’s decision to publicly associate with Zingman, whose U.S. education occurred more than a decade after Tinubu’s reported graduation, has added a new layer to these debates.
