By Temi Olowu
A video circulated on social media on Thursday showing the reinstated Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, visibly emotional as he received his PhD after his thesis was approved without any corrections.
Joe Abah, himself a PhD holder and a former Director General at Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Service Reforms, took to his X platform to explain why Sanusi was moved to tears, drawing from his experience of the intense journey towards earning a doctorate.
“Getting a proper PhD from a reputable school is, in my view, the hardest thing you can do academically,” Abah wrote on his X handle. “It squeezes out every ounce of brain power, patience, and physical endurance that you can muster.”
According to Abah, a PhD candidate must demonstrate the ability to answer every possible question thrown at them. These are not superficial questions but ones that challenge the thesis from every conceivable angle—varied schools of thought, interpretations, and ideological biases.
Approval of a thesis without corrections, while seemingly extraordinary, is not uncommon. Examiners have three options: approve the thesis without corrections, approve with minor corrections, or reject it altogether.
“If you have a good supervisor, your thesis would normally be approved without correction,” Abah explained. “They would have checked everything, including spelling, referencing, and even formatting, before allowing you to submit it for publication evaluation.”
The ordeal of defending a PhD thesis is described as a rigorous mental and emotional test. Professors from various disciplines and institutions critically examine the candidate’s work during the defence.
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Abah recalled the experience, saying, “Every question starts with ‘Dear Candidate.’ You could hear something like, ‘You said on page 212 that… However, we know from theory and empirical evidence that it doesn’t happen that way. Why did you say that?’”
The goal of this intense questioning is to ensure that the candidate genuinely authoured the thesis and fully understands the content. In Abah’s case, one professor even drew parallels to the film The Matrix to frame his question, highlighting the unpredictable nature of these interrogations.
After the defence, the examining panel retires to deliberate on the outcome, a period that can feel like an eternity for the candidate.
The return of the examiners, who proceed to praise the work and authorize the supervisor to confer the title of “Doctor,” is a moment filled with profound relief and pride. For many, including Sanusi, this culmination brings a wave of emotions, reflecting the years of hard work, sacrifices made by the candidate and their family, and the realization of a deeply personal ambition.
Abah’s insights help contextualize Emir Sanusi’s emotional response to his academic achievement. It’s a moment of triumph, recognition, and, perhaps most significantly, the validation of years of intellectual and personal investment.
As Abah put it, “All the pain, effort, and sacrifice over so many years washes over you. Together with all the praise from these highly intelligent people, you look at your wife and children and remember all that they had had to sacrifice for you to indulge this selfish desire to get a PhD. You see tears in their own eyes. It is extremely difficult not to get emotional. That is what happened.”
Emir Sanusi’s emotional reaction is a testament to the relentless pursuit of knowledge, the sacrifices made along the way, and the deep-seated fulfilment that accompanies the culmination of such a challenging journey.
(Edited by Oludare Mayowa; omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
