Did you know that Professor Chinua Achebe never earned a Master’s or PhD?
And did you know that Professor Wole Soyinka has no PhD either?
Yet both became global literary giants. With only their Bachelor’s degrees, they taught in some of the world’s finest universities including Ivy League schools. They were called professors, not because of certificates, but because of the power of their work and the value they created.
Achebe, for example, remains at the very center of African literary studies. His novel Things Fall Apart is the most studied, most translated African text in history. It carries more weight than any doctoral thesis on African literature and still forms the foundation for many PhD research projects today.
The lesson is clear, paper qualifications alone do not exalt a society. What matters is what you can offer. It is your originality, creativity, and contribution that lift people and nations, not certificates framed on the wall.
Yes, their era was different. Opportunities then may not be the same as now. But progress demands that we compare achievements across times. Without looking back, we cannot move forward. Each generation must measure itself against the past to define the path ahead.
So pursue your Master’s or PhD if you wish but know this, your dissertation will not define you. What will define you is the work you put into the world, the ideas that inspire minds, and the value that outlives you.
At the end of the day, your greatest credential is not your certificate. It is the strength of your character, the originality of your mind, and the impact of your contribution to society.
