Mubarak Ibrahim Lawan
It should not be a contentious issue that some people here in the North look down on PhD. I strongly believe that they have reasons to in relation to the current FG/ASUU faceoff that devalues and pauperises thousands of PhDs in the country against the ongoing capitalists’ increasing affluence.
It is a question of relevance in this highly capitalist country. If one’s PhD can barely put food on his/her table then very few would be interested in earning such a certificate. And, unfortunately this is the situation our government is creating through inflation and wanton disregard for education. So we see these days that even those who have PhD here have started losing its test and ego.
Worse still, the PhD students in universities have horrific stories to tell about PhD program under the tutelage of some horrible professors. Hence, beside the politico-economic reasons behind people’s displeasing attitude towards PhD, there is also a university bureaucratic problem that sends thousands away. Out of malice, some Professors think that they are giving one a key to a paradise room when giving PhD certificate. They make the process very hellish.
The pro-PhD here, on other hand, are largely those who are very fortunate to have done it abroad, still living there or have found a prosperous calling from their connections abroad. Hence they have every reason to defend PhD for, as an adage goes, the rain that beats you is the real rain not the one you hear on the rooftops.
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In sum, in Nigeria today, one should aspire to have a PhD if only it’s relevant to his/her calling. Similarly, one could go for it if one loves going deep into education or loves having titles. Otherwise it is better one invests his money, time and energy in other more profitable ventures in the present Nigeria.
If someone with a secondary school leaving certificate could be a governor, a president and jeopardise the whole education sector; if one with only a degree could be the minister of education and become so wild enough to have frustrated thousands of professors, PhDs and Masters; if secondary school dropouts could be our lawmakers; if one with only a degree could be a director, permanent secretary and what have you, then PhD’s relevance is surely restricted to academia only.
Mubarak Ibrahim Lawan
