By Marzuq Ungogo
“We did it. Your friend has been awarded a Ph.D.” As I read this exciting text from Adamu Tilde on Tuesday, I couldn’t contain my excitement and shouted out in joy. If I scared the people in the building, I know they would forgive this “first time” and would have wondered if I had won a lottery.
When I talked on phone later in the day with Adamu, we couldn’t help go down memory lane reminiscing about all the challenges faced. Suddenly his journey became clear in front of our eyes, how determined he had been, how much he worked for it and how he completely earned it.
In 2016, Adamu and I decided that going by our predilection for inquiry and love for learning and imparting knowledge, academia is our most logical destination. To be successful academics, we know how important obtaining PhD is and we had to start as soon as possible. At that time, Adamu completed a Master’s degree from a Hungarian university (in style) and I also was just about to return home after an MSc in the UK.
So we came up with 2 plans;
1. To apply for PhD studentship in 2 Nigerian universities
2. To apply for as many international PhD scholarships as possible
We went to work and by my count I applied for more than 20 scholarships. While waiting for responses from the these scholarships, Adamu was offered an admission in UDU Sokoto while I got admission into ABU Zaria. So, we decided to begin our PhD journeys in early 2017 in Nigeria all the while keeping fingers crossed on the international scholarships. The plan was to pursue the Nigerian PhD to the best we can, but leave if we got better offers abroad in good time.
But it was not easy decision to make considering all the negative testimonies around. We consulted so many people for about it, and most were pessimistic. In fact very few people could understand why 26-year old boys with First Class Master degrees from Europe would be desperate to start a PhD in Nigeria. But we stood by one logic- we need and want it, and in a few years to come we would either have it or be in the process. We knew if we didn’t start and were not able to get what we hoped (a scholarship abroad), we would only have a regret in years to come. After all, one mentor (Dr Abdurrazak Ibrahim “Biorazi”) said it was at least not a bad investment to pay 150k and listen to experienced professors for a year!
Adamu was earlier called by Bauchi state government officials with acknowledgement of his achievement in Hungary, and pledge to sponsor him for PhD in UK or any other foreign university of his choice. They made it look so real with clear instructions like “just bring us admission letters anywhere in the world”. Knowing fully the uncertainty of Nigerian politicians, he went ahead and accepted the PhD admission at UDUS first. Today, he would have regretted putting all his eggs in the past Bauchi government’s basket.
I remember Adamu left his business and took a chance with his life savings in far away Sokoto. But he didn’t just study in Sokoto, “he hustled too”. He started poultry farm with friends and later even got an NGO job in Sokoto and some gigs in Abuja. That way Adamu was shuttling between 2 jobs and a PhD. A year into the program he was offered an academic job at Dutse, with a part-leave agreement that he could continue his studies in Sokoto but show up to teach. That means for some months he had to move around Abuja, Sokoto, Bauchi and Dutse!
A Rejoinder To Adamu Tilde On Missing Opportunities By Northerners
On my own part, I also was combining farming and NGO job in Kano with a PhD studies in Zaria for 6 months before I was offered a job in my faculty in Zaria. That way I was able to “settle in one place”. In 2018, I got a sponsorship offer for a PhD in UK and I left. As for my friend, offers abroad came when he was far into his lab work at UDUS, and he decided to stay home and complete what he was enjoying.
There are many challenges associated with postgraduate research degrees in Nigeria. One big challenge is that one has to to self-sponsor themselves. Others are instability of the academic calendar, “wicked” supervisor, and inadequate/lack of equipment and materials. Many people felt that we were just wasting our time starting a PhD in Nigeria, but we know that it was the best decision to make -using what is available. But all these challenges did not stop my friend from completing his lab work and thesis writing in the minimum 3 academic sessions because he was determined.
By early 2020, Adamu has completed his Lab-work and thesis. As fate would have it COVID-19 pandemic started and Nigerian universities also went on strike. What looked like a simple break turned to complete disruption and it took until this week for him to defend his thesis.
Looking back, I think there are lessons fellow young people especially in Northern Nigeria would learn from Adamu’s experiences.
1. Just do it, because if you don’t, time will still pass and you will still have to do it.
2. Leave your comfort zone, you may not know what is in stores for you somewhere. Didn’t I tell you that my friend got a nice NGO job in Sokoto, started a poultry farm and consultancy there?
3. Use what is available at every material time. Many of us fail to utilise available opportunities and get fixated with “what may not be”, then end up getting none.
4. It is still possible: we often get discouraged by the many terrible stories around especially about MSc or PhD in Nigeria. That way we lose without even making any attempts. Everybody’s circumstances are different and from experience I know postgraduate students are not completely blameless themselves.
5. One good step leads to another: in the journey to career and self-development, one good step opens many opportunities. Adamu landed his dream academic job partly because he is already a PhD in-view. Employers always love a candidate that has gone an extra length. With shortages of PhD holders in Nigerian academia (especially in the north), it’s hard to turn down a candidate who is already enrolled in a PhD. So if you want to be in that system, here is a model for you.
As the external examiner announced Adamu Tilde a PhD holder at 31 on Tuesday, I know one thing was on his mind ”I made it”. As Adamu drove home the following day from far away Sokoto, he definitely was pleased with his decisions to leave Tilden Fulani in 2017. It was a journey to remember.
Congratulations once again Dr Adamu Tilde. May you continue to inspire and impact us with your work and your achievements!
Marzuq Abubakar Ungogo wrote this from Glasgow
