Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has explained why he returned to school at the age of 77, saying he wanted to demonstrate that education has no age limit while deepening his understanding of God.
Obasanjo discussed the decision during a recent interview with Nigerian comedian and skit maker Isbae U on Curiosity Made Me Ask, revisiting an academic journey that saw him study Christian Theology at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
The former president said his decision to return to the classroom was driven by more than the pursuit of another academic qualification.
“I went back to school at 77 years old to study Christian Theology, to show by example that there’s no age limit to education,” Obasanjo said.
He also explained that his studies served a personal spiritual purpose.
“I also wanted to learn more about God so I could worship Him better, and I enjoyed it,” he added.
Obasanjo had already pursued Christian Theology before returning to university for his master’s degree. He obtained a postgraduate diploma in Christian Theology from NOUN in 2009 before returning to the institution several years later to pursue a master’s degree in the same field.
He began the master’s programme in 2014 and completed it in January 2016, when he was 79.
Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s military head of state from 1976 to 1979 before returning to power as an elected civilian president in 1999. He served two terms and left office in 2007.
In his recent interview, Obasanjo presented his return to school as an example of lifelong learning. He said he wanted to understand God better so that he could worship Him better, making the course both an academic and spiritual pursuit.
“I also wanted to learn more about God so I could worship Him better, and I enjoyed it,” he said.
The discussion also gave Obasanjo an opportunity to explain the motivation behind a decision that attracted attention when he returned to university in his late 70s.
