For Christiana Akpunonu, the journey to earning a doctorate was not defined by speed, but by resilience, sacrifice, and an unbreakable promise.
In the early 1960s, Akpunonu’s education nearly came to an abrupt end during her secondary school years when her father, a struggling farmer, could no longer afford her school fees. She recalled the painful certainty that her academic journey would stop while her peers continued.
That trajectory, however, changed following a defining moment. Her father, already elderly, went to the local church he had helped build and made a solemn pledge—that his daughter would complete her education, whether he was alive to see it or not.
Reflecting on that moment, Akpunonu said she was determined to honour the promise, despite the odds.
After finishing secondary school, while many of her classmates advanced to university, she was unable to do so. Instead, she sought employment to repay the debt her father had incurred. She joined the Nigeria Police as a cadet and, over time, gradually cleared the financial burden.
By the time she completed the repayments, her contemporaries had moved far ahead in their academic pursuits. “It looked like they were running, and I was just crawling,” she recalled. Yet, she remained resolute, committing herself to eventually reach the same destination.
Her path was marked by persistent financial challenges. She later gained admission into a university programme, combining work with studies. Whenever funds ran out, she relied on borrowing, which she repaid in installments while continuing her education.
“It has always been like that—borrowing and paying back, and still moving forward,” she said.
Decades later, that perseverance has culminated in a remarkable achievement. At the age of 85, Akpunonu earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Media Arts from the University of Abuja.
For her, the milestone represents far more than an academic qualification. It is the fulfilment of a promise made many years ago in a modest church—a promise sustained through hardship, delay, and determination.
Today, Akpunonu reflects on her journey with quiet pride, having honoured both her father’s sacrifice and her own unwavering commitment to education.
Credit:University of Abuja
