THE YOUNGEST PROFESSOR IN THE WORLD AND THE ISSUE OF CERTIFICATED EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
June 29, 2021 | News
Arguably, when it comes to man and the acquisition of knowledge (be it formal or informal), and the right application of such acquired/developed knowledge or skill to transform his society for his good and that of others;
-By Zik Gbemre
THE YOUNGEST PROFESSOR IN THE WORLD AND THE ISSUE OF CERTIFICATED EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
Despite all the certificates and degrees that our Nigerian politicians and elites are known to have piled up, still act like persons who are devoid of education. Compared to many others out there who, despite not being able to have any (or little) certificates/degrees in education, but have used their intelligent minds to positively impact their environment and humanity more…
The story of the 7-year-old Suborno Isaac Bari, a Child Prodigy who became the youngest Professor in the world for his incredible efficiencies in the field of Math, physics and Anti-terrorist campaign, is one that should make us rethink our Nigerian educational system and the value placed on certificate acquisition…
There are many billionaires, entrepreneurs and political leaders across the world today that were/are without certificates of education but their positive impacts to their society and humanity have continued to outlive them…
It is high time we began to look beyond certificates and class of degrees in getting the best brains…
Arguably, when it comes to man and the acquisition of knowledge (be it formal or informal), and the right application of such acquired/developed knowledge or skill to transform his society for his good and that of others; one can be certificated and yet remain/act uneducatedly, while another can be uncertificated but yet act/remain educated with so much achievements (that have positively impacted many) to show for it. This is my thought whenever I consider our Nigerian politicians and elites, most of whom, who despite all the certificates and degrees that they have piled up through their lives, still act like one who is devoid of education. Compared to many others there who, despite not being able to have any (or little) certificates/degrees, but have used their intelligent minds to positively impact their environment and humanity more.
I am sure many of us have seen the video, or read about the youngest Professor in the world. The 7-year-old Suborno Isaac Bari, became the youngest Professor in mankind. Suborno Bari is a Bengali American prodigy. He’s known as Suborno Isaac Bari because after the famous Isaac Newton, he is the youngest professor globally, and people know him as the EINSTEIN of our time.
Suborno Isaac Bari, who grew up in New York City, USA, is so genius that he started talking when he was only 6 months. And he could solve Math, Physics, Chemistry problems when he was only 2 years old. Then his parents started sharing his videos on the internet. Later on, he got an invitation from Voice of America (VOA) to have an interview. And he’s the youngest person ever to be in a conversation with VOA.
In 2018, Harvard University acknowledged him as a scientist. And 2020, he was recognized as a Professor of Harvard University. He became a Visiting Professor at Mumbai University too. He received the Child Prodigy Award from the Nobel winner Karlash Satyarthi, for his incredible efficiencies in the field of Math, physics and for the Anti-terrorist campaign. He also authored a book named “The Love.” The main idea of his book, according to Suborno, was focused on the topic of a Muslim child’s struggle to create a world without terrorism. Barrack Obama, the former US President, also recognized him too and sent a letter to Suborno congratulating him in 2016. And so many renowned University Professors and Chancellors have written to him so far.
The truth is that, nothing can stop a person born extraordinarily. They can go beyond everything; they just need a good nourishing and guidance. This youngest Professor in the world, is actually a professor that is without a university/college degree/certificate because he never really went through the formal process of attaining his admired status at his young age. This again justifies the fact that education certification is not the only way, neither is it enough to make it great in the academic world, and indeed in life.
Agreed that education is an investment that pays off any time anywhere. And in a world of crumbling economies and turbulent times, investing in education becomes even more paramount. But despite its importance in development, there are still several misconceptions about education in Nigeria, where many people define education in “quantities” rather than “qualitative terms.” This means that “paper qualification” (certification) is substituted for knowledge/skill acquisition and ‘application’ to solve humanity problems. In other words, certificate acquisition and passing classes have been highly rated at the expense of knowledge/skill acquisition and application or evident performance.
Perhaps, this is the reason why our Nigerian universities and colleges are producing more of “certificated illiterates” as teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education, who then go on to produce “unemployable graduates” that usually have piles of certificates/degrees. That is why in the Nigeria of today, a person who acquires certificate is ranked higher and valued more than the person without it. This happens without any iota of regards to how the person acquired it and irrespective of whether he/she possesses the requisite knowledge and skill. This has made many to spend most of their adult life piling up degrees upon degrees in other to climb the cooperate ladder of their careers. Surprisingly, Nigerians have many ways of acquiring certificates. It is easier for a Nigerian to get a certificate from Toronto University than a Canadian.
The emphasis placed on certificates and formal education in this part of the world is quite funny because the said certificates do not translate to tangible results that would positively affect our society. Who would have believed that the world most educated President was an African? And that person was the former President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who was recorded to be the most educated President the world had ever produced. With a Bachelor's degree in History, English, Administration, Education and Law and also a Master’s degree in Law and in Economics alongside several other PhDs aside the 14 honorary degrees. This record will indeed be a very hard one for any other President in the world to break. Yet, Zimbabwe is one of the poorest and backward countries in the world in his time as the president of that country.
Surprisingly, the former South African President, Jacob Zuma, used to be the World's most “uneducated President” when he was still in office. Jacob Zuma had no formal education. In fact, he is said to be ‘self- schooled’ - he taught himself to read and write. Acquiring formal education was difficult for Zuma because he was poor, and lost his father at a very young age. With little or no access to funds, he borrowed books from friends in the neighbourhood, and would insist his friends put him through on how to pronounce words. Many a time, Zuma would personally educate himself in the bush and was involved in the fight against the Apartheid government alongside legendary Nelson Mandela and this led him to prison, yet he continued in self-education and today, former President Jacob Zuma speaks fluent English, French, Russian, and other languages – which he learnt through self-education. He regarded self-education as more important than certification. Hear Jacob Zuma; "I don't regard myself as uneducated, I only lack formal qualifications and certifications".
Though, former President Jacob Zuma was put under pressure to resign from Office because he had a lot of corruption cases hanging on his neck while in office, but who would ever believe he does not possess a primary, secondary schools or tertiary certificates when he used to stand to address his nation on political and economic issues? Or when he used to sit in the African Union (AU) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and to respond to questions without Aides and Personal Assistants or whatever they call them in Nigeria. He speaks English language even better than many of Nigeria’s certificated-uneducated political leaders and elites. If former President Jacob Zuma of South Africa was a Nigerian, we are very certain that by now, he would have acquired, rightly or wrongly, bunch of certificates/degrees without passing through colleges and universities and without actually completing and passing the relevant compulsory and elective courses often required to obtain certificates/degrees. Jacob Zuma, like many of his kind of persons, have proved to the world that one can get and use self-education to develop one’s self.
There are many billionaires, entrepreneurs and political leaders across the world today that were/are without certificates of the different levels of education but their positive impacts to their society and humanity have continued to outlive them. Michael Faraday worked in a London book shop, with virtually no formal education, was able to revolutionized our understanding of electricity and a whole lot more.
Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, motion picture camera, telephone, phonography and has more than 1,000 patents in his name, was taught how to read and write by his mother, after he was expelled from school because teachers thought he was too slow to learn; Richard Branson, a British Businessman with about 400 companies (not on paper but in reality), under Virgin Group, does not have any college certificate/diploma; Sir Hugh Grosvenor, the present Duke of the City of Westminster in London, is Britain’s youngest Billionaire, who was born great and inherited a great amount of wealth, including mass expanse of lands. The Queen of England is the only person that owns more lands than him in Britain. Yet, he is very humble, simple and not intoxicated by his wealth, even as a young man. If he was a Nigerian, he would have acquired degrees upon degrees, including Doctorate degrees and what have you.
There is also The Wright brothers who never finished High School, invented the “flying machine” and flew the first airplane; Bill Gates only spent 2 years in Harvard and he became the founder of Microsoft and still considered one of the world’s richest men; Larry Ellison only spent One year in College and became the founder of Oracle; Michael Dell, founder of DELL only spent One year in the University of Texas; Steve Jobs, founder of Apple only spent One year in Reed College, we can go on and on. HOWEVER, THE MORAL OF THE STORY HERE IS – DO NOT DROP OUT OF SCHOOL/COLLEGE, IF YOU HAVE NOT INVENTED/CREATED ANYTHING THAT IS IMPACTFUL TO HUMANITY.
However, what matters is an individual's capacity and capability to deliver expected results and high performance at work or business, and the integrity of that individual. Not the First Class degrees and accumulated degree certificates. In the developed countries, one can rise to the top with good performance, dedication and integrity at work, and not necessarily based on one's bunch of accumulated degrees of this and that. I was told that once one is recruited into the Nigerian civil service, or into the Nigerian Police, Military and Para-military, promotion is automatic every few years to the top, regardless of what one does. This is why the civil service and the entire public and private sectors are managed, influenced and directed by people that are without sound minds because they just rose to the top without actual performance, dedication and integrity, all of which are required to move the country forward. As far as they have "paper qualifications", and some others - "connections", they are promoted to the top. This is not only very wrong, but also outdated and no longer in vogue in the developed world. Paper qualifications should not be a requirement for promotion, but the performance, dedication and integrity shown and demonstrated by the individual concerned. This should be the only yardstick to promote any person working in the public and private sectors to the top, as the head or director. A situation where they promote based on Years of Service has rendered the entire Nigerian economy useless and unproductive.
In my opinion, what should matter in the public and private sector in Nigeria is the ability to perform, the dedication and integrity demonstrated at the work place, and not all these accumulation of various degrees/certificates and higher degrees. We cannot move the economy forward with this outdated approach in our educational system, and work place in every sector.
It is high time we began to look beyond certificates and class of degrees in getting the best brains, especially in the public service domain. A first-class degree holder does not necessarily mean “first class knowledge or brain.” What is a certificate without a corresponding knowledge and character?
Zik Gbemre.
June 29, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
-By Zik Gbemre
THE YOUNGEST PROFESSOR IN THE WORLD AND THE ISSUE OF CERTIFICATED EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
Despite all the certificates and degrees that our Nigerian politicians and elites are known to have piled up, still act like persons who are devoid of education. Compared to many others out there who, despite not being able to have any (or little) certificates/degrees in education, but have used their intelligent minds to positively impact their environment and humanity more…
The story of the 7-year-old Suborno Isaac Bari, a Child Prodigy who became the youngest Professor in the world for his incredible efficiencies in the field of Math, physics and Anti-terrorist campaign, is one that should make us rethink our Nigerian educational system and the value placed on certificate acquisition…
There are many billionaires, entrepreneurs and political leaders across the world today that were/are without certificates of education but their positive impacts to their society and humanity have continued to outlive them…
It is high time we began to look beyond certificates and class of degrees in getting the best brains…
Arguably, when it comes to man and the acquisition of knowledge (be it formal or informal), and the right application of such acquired/developed knowledge or skill to transform his society for his good and that of others; one can be certificated and yet remain/act uneducatedly, while another can be uncertificated but yet act/remain educated with so much achievements (that have positively impacted many) to show for it. This is my thought whenever I consider our Nigerian politicians and elites, most of whom, who despite all the certificates and degrees that they have piled up through their lives, still act like one who is devoid of education. Compared to many others there who, despite not being able to have any (or little) certificates/degrees, but have used their intelligent minds to positively impact their environment and humanity more.
I am sure many of us have seen the video, or read about the youngest Professor in the world. The 7-year-old Suborno Isaac Bari, became the youngest Professor in mankind. Suborno Bari is a Bengali American prodigy. He’s known as Suborno Isaac Bari because after the famous Isaac Newton, he is the youngest professor globally, and people know him as the EINSTEIN of our time.
Suborno Isaac Bari, who grew up in New York City, USA, is so genius that he started talking when he was only 6 months. And he could solve Math, Physics, Chemistry problems when he was only 2 years old. Then his parents started sharing his videos on the internet. Later on, he got an invitation from Voice of America (VOA) to have an interview. And he’s the youngest person ever to be in a conversation with VOA.
In 2018, Harvard University acknowledged him as a scientist. And 2020, he was recognized as a Professor of Harvard University. He became a Visiting Professor at Mumbai University too. He received the Child Prodigy Award from the Nobel winner Karlash Satyarthi, for his incredible efficiencies in the field of Math, physics and for the Anti-terrorist campaign. He also authored a book named “The Love.” The main idea of his book, according to Suborno, was focused on the topic of a Muslim child’s struggle to create a world without terrorism. Barrack Obama, the former US President, also recognized him too and sent a letter to Suborno congratulating him in 2016. And so many renowned University Professors and Chancellors have written to him so far.
The truth is that, nothing can stop a person born extraordinarily. They can go beyond everything; they just need a good nourishing and guidance. This youngest Professor in the world, is actually a professor that is without a university/college degree/certificate because he never really went through the formal process of attaining his admired status at his young age. This again justifies the fact that education certification is not the only way, neither is it enough to make it great in the academic world, and indeed in life.
Agreed that education is an investment that pays off any time anywhere. And in a world of crumbling economies and turbulent times, investing in education becomes even more paramount. But despite its importance in development, there are still several misconceptions about education in Nigeria, where many people define education in “quantities” rather than “qualitative terms.” This means that “paper qualification” (certification) is substituted for knowledge/skill acquisition and ‘application’ to solve humanity problems. In other words, certificate acquisition and passing classes have been highly rated at the expense of knowledge/skill acquisition and application or evident performance.
Perhaps, this is the reason why our Nigerian universities and colleges are producing more of “certificated illiterates” as teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education, who then go on to produce “unemployable graduates” that usually have piles of certificates/degrees. That is why in the Nigeria of today, a person who acquires certificate is ranked higher and valued more than the person without it. This happens without any iota of regards to how the person acquired it and irrespective of whether he/she possesses the requisite knowledge and skill. This has made many to spend most of their adult life piling up degrees upon degrees in other to climb the cooperate ladder of their careers. Surprisingly, Nigerians have many ways of acquiring certificates. It is easier for a Nigerian to get a certificate from Toronto University than a Canadian.
The emphasis placed on certificates and formal education in this part of the world is quite funny because the said certificates do not translate to tangible results that would positively affect our society. Who would have believed that the world most educated President was an African? And that person was the former President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who was recorded to be the most educated President the world had ever produced. With a Bachelor's degree in History, English, Administration, Education and Law and also a Master’s degree in Law and in Economics alongside several other PhDs aside the 14 honorary degrees. This record will indeed be a very hard one for any other President in the world to break. Yet, Zimbabwe is one of the poorest and backward countries in the world in his time as the president of that country.
Surprisingly, the former South African President, Jacob Zuma, used to be the World's most “uneducated President” when he was still in office. Jacob Zuma had no formal education. In fact, he is said to be ‘self- schooled’ - he taught himself to read and write. Acquiring formal education was difficult for Zuma because he was poor, and lost his father at a very young age. With little or no access to funds, he borrowed books from friends in the neighbourhood, and would insist his friends put him through on how to pronounce words. Many a time, Zuma would personally educate himself in the bush and was involved in the fight against the Apartheid government alongside legendary Nelson Mandela and this led him to prison, yet he continued in self-education and today, former President Jacob Zuma speaks fluent English, French, Russian, and other languages – which he learnt through self-education. He regarded self-education as more important than certification. Hear Jacob Zuma; "I don't regard myself as uneducated, I only lack formal qualifications and certifications".
Though, former President Jacob Zuma was put under pressure to resign from Office because he had a lot of corruption cases hanging on his neck while in office, but who would ever believe he does not possess a primary, secondary schools or tertiary certificates when he used to stand to address his nation on political and economic issues? Or when he used to sit in the African Union (AU) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and to respond to questions without Aides and Personal Assistants or whatever they call them in Nigeria. He speaks English language even better than many of Nigeria’s certificated-uneducated political leaders and elites. If former President Jacob Zuma of South Africa was a Nigerian, we are very certain that by now, he would have acquired, rightly or wrongly, bunch of certificates/degrees without passing through colleges and universities and without actually completing and passing the relevant compulsory and elective courses often required to obtain certificates/degrees. Jacob Zuma, like many of his kind of persons, have proved to the world that one can get and use self-education to develop one’s self.
There are many billionaires, entrepreneurs and political leaders across the world today that were/are without certificates of the different levels of education but their positive impacts to their society and humanity have continued to outlive them. Michael Faraday worked in a London book shop, with virtually no formal education, was able to revolutionized our understanding of electricity and a whole lot more.
Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, motion picture camera, telephone, phonography and has more than 1,000 patents in his name, was taught how to read and write by his mother, after he was expelled from school because teachers thought he was too slow to learn; Richard Branson, a British Businessman with about 400 companies (not on paper but in reality), under Virgin Group, does not have any college certificate/diploma; Sir Hugh Grosvenor, the present Duke of the City of Westminster in London, is Britain’s youngest Billionaire, who was born great and inherited a great amount of wealth, including mass expanse of lands. The Queen of England is the only person that owns more lands than him in Britain. Yet, he is very humble, simple and not intoxicated by his wealth, even as a young man. If he was a Nigerian, he would have acquired degrees upon degrees, including Doctorate degrees and what have you.
There is also The Wright brothers who never finished High School, invented the “flying machine” and flew the first airplane; Bill Gates only spent 2 years in Harvard and he became the founder of Microsoft and still considered one of the world’s richest men; Larry Ellison only spent One year in College and became the founder of Oracle; Michael Dell, founder of DELL only spent One year in the University of Texas; Steve Jobs, founder of Apple only spent One year in Reed College, we can go on and on. HOWEVER, THE MORAL OF THE STORY HERE IS – DO NOT DROP OUT OF SCHOOL/COLLEGE, IF YOU HAVE NOT INVENTED/CREATED ANYTHING THAT IS IMPACTFUL TO HUMANITY.
However, what matters is an individual's capacity and capability to deliver expected results and high performance at work or business, and the integrity of that individual. Not the First Class degrees and accumulated degree certificates. In the developed countries, one can rise to the top with good performance, dedication and integrity at work, and not necessarily based on one's bunch of accumulated degrees of this and that. I was told that once one is recruited into the Nigerian civil service, or into the Nigerian Police, Military and Para-military, promotion is automatic every few years to the top, regardless of what one does. This is why the civil service and the entire public and private sectors are managed, influenced and directed by people that are without sound minds because they just rose to the top without actual performance, dedication and integrity, all of which are required to move the country forward. As far as they have "paper qualifications", and some others - "connections", they are promoted to the top. This is not only very wrong, but also outdated and no longer in vogue in the developed world. Paper qualifications should not be a requirement for promotion, but the performance, dedication and integrity shown and demonstrated by the individual concerned. This should be the only yardstick to promote any person working in the public and private sectors to the top, as the head or director. A situation where they promote based on Years of Service has rendered the entire Nigerian economy useless and unproductive.
In my opinion, what should matter in the public and private sector in Nigeria is the ability to perform, the dedication and integrity demonstrated at the work place, and not all these accumulation of various degrees/certificates and higher degrees. We cannot move the economy forward with this outdated approach in our educational system, and work place in every sector.
It is high time we began to look beyond certificates and class of degrees in getting the best brains, especially in the public service domain. A first-class degree holder does not necessarily mean “first class knowledge or brain.” What is a certificate without a corresponding knowledge and character?
Zik Gbemre.
June 29, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes