At the just-concluded 56th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, announced that 78-year-old Hammid Taju was the oldest PhD graduate of the event. Mr Taju, who earned his doctorate in French, returned to school after a long career in public service and banking.
In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he speaks about why he decided to study French at his age and what the achievement means to him.
PT: At 78, many people are thinking about retirement. What made you decide to pursue a PhD instead?
Mr Taju: The decision to pursue a PhD at 78 came after I undertook a master’s degree in Teaching of French as a Second Language. Following the completion of that programme, it was considered that I was suitable for admission into the PhD programme in French, and I was offered admission.
Initially, I was reluctant to accept the offer because of my age and the enormity of the challenges involved. The rigour of the programme was clear, and time was also a factor. However, I was encouraged to take it up, and eventually, I did.
PT: Why French? Was this a lifelong passion you finally returned to, or a new intellectual challenge you deliberately chose at this stage of life?
Mr Taju: I studied French throughout my secondary education, up to higher school, and continued with my first degree in French. So I have always been in touch with the language. Although I did not use French actively during my public service career, I continued reading documents in French, listening to French media, and buying French newspapers and magazines. I did not want to lose the ability to speak the language fluently.
It has always been my desire to improve my French, both in writing and in speaking. When the opportunity came again, I decided to seize it.
PT: Can you briefly walk us through your educational and professional background and how it eventually led you back to academia?
Mr Taju: I was born in Agbaja, Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria. I attended primary school in Agbaja, then LGA Senior Primary School, Gegu Beki, and later Provincial/Government Secondary School, Okene. I went on to Ahmadu Bello University, where I studied French.
As part of the programme, we spent our second year abroad at the University of Dakar before returning to ABU to complete the programme. I graduated in 1973 and was part of the first set of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving in what was then Western State, now Osun State.
My career began at the Nigerian Sugar Company in Bacita, Kwara State, where I worked in management. I later received training in personnel management and was sponsored to the London School of Economics, where I earned a Diploma in Personnel Management and was registered with the Institute of Personnel Management in London.
I returned to Nigeria and continued my career, later serving as an executive director at the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company in Lagos for six years, and subsequently as an executive director at Union Bank for three years.
I disengaged from Union Bank in March 1993 and began exploring opportunities to reintegrate into education. I was admitted to study for an MBA at Lagos State University (LASU), which I completed successfully. A few years later, I enrolled for a master’s degree in Teaching of French as a Foreign Language at the University of Lagos. Completing that programme made me eligible for consideration for the PhD programme in French.
I eventually finished the programme and was conferred with a PhD by the University of Lagos during its 56th convocation.
PT: Did you ever feel there was an age limit to academic ambition?
Mr Taju: I do not believe there is any age limit to academic ambition. It has always been my personal habit to read every day. Throughout my life, reading has challenged my intellect and kept my brain active. It prevents me from digressing into frivolities and mundane matters, helping me focus on vital issues that benefit me and humanity.
PT: What was the most challenging part of doing a PhD at your age, academically, physically, or mentally, and how did you overcome it?
Mr Taju: In a PhD programme, you are required to develop a research objective, conduct in-depth research, and present your work to panels of experts at various stages, including your supervisors, professors, and lecturers.
These experts expect you to be focused on developing your ideas, and if you are not, they are not prepared to waste their time. The doctoral programme is very challenging, and it becomes even more so for an older person, whose emotional and physical limitations may sometimes conflict with the requirements of such a programme.
PT: Many people believe learning a language is difficult. How did you cope with studying, researching, and writing in French at the doctoral level?
Mr Taju: French is not as difficult as some other languages, although it is often perceived as difficult by people who are not too willing to learn it. There are, however, many grammatical norms in French that students must take cognisance of. These include the structure of the grammar, accents, spelling, which sometimes resembles English, phonetics, and morphology, which involves the combination of letters to form words.
These are intricate issues and can sometimes be constrained by prior knowledge of another language, such as English. Therefore, one must be meticulous and traditional in adhering to French grammatical norms, especially at the doctoral level.
PT: How did it feel studying alongside much younger students, and what did that experience teach you about age, learning, and confidence?
Mr Taju: Younger students were very comfortable studying with him. They generally minded their business. Coming from an African tradition where age is respected, many of them extended courtesy and respect. At no point was I derided or made uncomfortable because of my age.
I cannot say what young people felt internally, but no such feelings were expressed to me in a way that made me uncomfortable.
PT: Looking back now, what does earning this PhD mean to you personally, beyond the title and certificate?
Mr Taju: By the grace of God, the PhD has been earned and conferred by the University of Lagos. Beyond the title, it has changed me. I now have a different worldview. I am more research-oriented, more focused, and more disciplined. I went through rigorous intellectual engagement with experts who corrected me and challenged me. These confrontations have moulded my life and will guide my future endeavours.
My current interest is in language development, particularly the preservation and documentation of African languages, especially smaller languages that are vulnerable and may disappear if they are not documented.
Many native speakers are no longer living within their communities, as younger generations move into the diaspora. We must find ways to write these smaller languages using established languages with extensive literature.
I am also interested in early literacy in Africa, especially the influence of Arabic literacy in West Africa from as early as the eighth and ninth centuries. This will form part of my future research endeavours.
PT: What message would you give to people, young or old, who believe it is ‘too late’ to return to school or chase an academic dream?
Mr Taju: It is never too late to return to school if the opportunity presents itself. What is important is having a prepared mind, one that is open and motivated towards learning and the acquisition of knowledge.
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Institutions such as universities exist to organise learning, and people should not hesitate to take advantage of them at any stage of life.
Engaging the brain continuously improves one’s quality of life and contributes positively to society. Knowledge remains valuable, and its benefits, intellectual, social, and even financial, can be realised in many ways over time.
