“At times, my lecturer would get me angry and say, ‘Go and repeat this page.’
Former Nigeria’s First Lady Patience Jonathan has disclosed she almost abandoned her PhD pursuit due to academic pressures, despite recently graduating with a doctorate in Psychology.
Speaking at Streams of Joy International Church, Jonathan recounted her three-year ordeal at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, where she often clashed with lecturers. “At times, my lecturer would get me angry and say, ‘Go and repeat this page.’ Shey this man don’t know that I’m old,” she joked, drawing laughter from the congregation. The 65-year-old admitted nearly quitting, questioning “what will I do with it?” before divine inspiration kept her going.
The former First Lady described humbling classroom experiences alongside younger students, where she frequently asked questions to grasp concepts. “I was the ‘Mama’ among them…I had to ask questions three times before I understood,” she said, comparing the programme duration to “40 years.” Despite initial doubts after her political career, she persisted after believing God’s message: “If your children can make it, why can’t you?”
Jonathan now urges Nigerians to disregard age barriers in education, stating: “If you are a hundred years old, you can make it.” Her testimony highlights late-life academic achievement amid Nigeria’s 6.5% tertiary enrollment rate for adults over 40.