"Age is just a number," goes the cliché, but for Hammid Taju, it is a challenge to be crushed under the weight of a doctoral thesis and sheer determination.

Standing before the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Hammid Taju looked every bit the distinguished elder statesman. But on this day, he was a student—the oldest in the room, and arguably the most inspiring. At 78, he was conferred with a PhD in French, capping a remarkable journey that began long before many of his fellow graduates were born.

His story is a rebuke to the notion that the golden years are for fading away. Taju, a former banking executive, swapped ledgers for literature, embarking on a grueling intellectual marathon. "People asked me why," he laughed. "I told them, because I can. And because I must."

The Discipline of the Mind

Taju’s academic success is built on a foundation of iron discipline forged in the corporate fires of the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company. He approached his studies with the same meticulous attention to detail that he once applied to national currency. The PhD program, notorious for breaking students half his age, became his daily gym for the mind.

He navigated the complex corridors of French syntax and semantics, attending lectures with students young enough to be his grandchildren. Far from being intimidated, he became a mentor, a living library of life experience. "He taught us that curiosity is the fountain of youth," said a classmate.

Breaking Barriers

In a society that often overlooks the elderly, Taju’s achievement compels a second look. He has proven that the brain remains plastic, capable of mastering new and difficult concepts well into the eighth decade of life. His success is a call to action for retirees everywhere to reject stagnation.

• The Achievement: Earning a PhD in French at the age of 78.
• The Background: Former Executive Director at Union Bank.
• The Lesson: Education is a lifelong commitment, not a phase.

A Scholar’s Twilight

As Taju walks out of the university gates, he carries more than a certificate. He carries a message of possibility. He has shown that the human spirit is not defined by the calendar. His next steps are watched with anticipation, for a man who gets a PhD at 78 clearly has no intention of slowing down.

His story will be told in lecture halls for years to come—not just as a record broken, but as a standard set. Hammid Taju has not just learned French; he has translated the language of ambition for a new generation.