By Tosin Adesile, PhD
In January 2016, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. I was the class governor of the 2013/2014 masters set, and the programme ended, not without a few challenges, which I overcame by persistence and hardwork.
The uncertainty of what might come next, as well as my desire to further climb another rung of the academic ladder, made me apply for a Ph.D. programme. As at the time of the application, I can’t say precisely what was pushing me to go through with it.
It took me one full year and eight months to get an admission, that should have set the tone for what I was to expect but what was pushing me felt everything was all normal before the journey of eight years finally began.
A year into the programme, i started encountering emotional, financial, spiritual, and health challenges, I believe it was all because I love academics, but you see, my senses are fully back.
Two years into the PhD programme, I lost focus because I was now very sure that there was no completion day in view, so i packed my belongings from the Postgraduate hall and went back to my station for survival.
At work, people call me different names, including but not limited to “a workaholic “, “No future ambition” etc. They didn’t know depression was gradually settling in, and work was my only solace, this meant I had to give all to my work in order to avoid thinking. I had also gotten married and started a family as well. Few months in my station, we were called to come to school for our letters of coursework approval and I was excited that we had finally moved from uncertainty to certainty but the next bump on the road was COVID-19 which caused everywhere to be shutdown. I cried in my dark moments , although there were no outward tears, but I wailed inside me day and night.
A lot of opportunities skipped me at work and around me. Without a PhD. in academics, you are just an academic in training, and I became a veteran in training, looking at my years of experience as a professional and years spent in academics. The people who needed to be trained by me were the ones training me. I am a fast learner, and I took those trainings in good faith and utmost humility.
At the relaxation of the COVID-19 lockdown, I was excited that the PhD. program was back, and I paid school fees in my usual manner. It was to be the fifth payment. After making the payment, I was to sit for 2 MAC 950’s courses to round my course work, which my department had already released the time table only for ASUU to announce another indefinite strike, it was then I knew that my village people were on my neck. I went back to my place of work in a sleepy village somewhere in Nigeria. I ran from Lagos so I could get fresh air.
At the expiry of ASUU strike, we continued and ended course work while we anticipated for results, which did not arrive as at the time I was expecting it to. At this point, I was already contemplating dropping out as I was using all my salaries for fueling and transportation to Lagos weekly in order to finish the programme. 7 years, the programme refused to finish instead, I had to set target for myself, restrategised my moves and I took a word of affirmation that I will finish in the 8 years, no matter the plan of the enemies and my village people. I did my post-field in December 2023, and my course work approval from PG School to proceed to the thesis stage was received, which showed I am nearing completion.
2024 was very strategic for me, I cleared my desk at my place of work which I often called research and innovation boot, and I devoted time every two weeks to see my supervisors and check at the PG School. I made sure I opened my research work every day to make it better.
Between April and November 2024, it was hard for me during this programme, i emptied my savings because of excessive travels and payments from different quarters. Then, I realized people going to public universities are doing so not for lack of money but for prestige and reputation of the certificates they carry, because if I compare the funds I spent on academics and logistics, it is way equal and even higher compared to what I would have spent if I had gone to a private university.
Today, I am a happy man because I stayed put in the Nigerian system, I didn’t allow frustration to send me away but I learnt the issues and challenges in the system, having gone through it. So, if I find myself in a position of authority tomorrow, I know exactly what to do to fix the ailing system.
I also want to encourage anyone aiming for this not to give up, no matter the challenges, it will be worth it in the end, and you will certainly reap the benefits.
