The story of Hajiya Fatima Kurfi, a Septuagenarian who returned to school about ten years ago to earn a degree shows that education has no age limit.
At the time of graduation, Fatima was already a 79-year-old grandma.
With a degree in Islamic Studies at Al-Qalam University, Katsina, Hajiya Fatima is one of those who had exemplified the notion that no one is too old to learn.
Hajiya Fatima, mother of four and grandmother of about 20 children, gained admission to Al-Qalam University in 2005 and completed her degree in 2009
The old woman who completed her bachelor’s degree programme in 2009 had her convocation ceremony in 2016 as a result of the deferment of her convocation ceremony till May 2016.
Al-Qalam University had held a combined convocation ceremony for seven graduating sets of the school.
Unlike many of her age mates who would have ignored further formal education, she embraced education wholeheartedly.
Maman Kurfi (as she’s popularly known), didn’t have the opportunity to attend school while growing up, but broke the jinx as someone who has always been willing to be educated. She started with learning how to read and write when she got married to her husband, Dr. Ahmadu Kurfi who later relocated to England.
Dr Kurfi was, for many years, a teacher and had previously served as a federal permanent secretary. She would later join him in the UK before they returned to Nigeria.
Quite after she returned from England with her husband, she enrolled in an Arabic Teachers’ College for her secondary school education, where she found herself in the same class with one of her
grand-kids, before obtaining a Diploma at Danfodio College, Katsina.
Her quest for education earned her the reward to further her education at Al-Qalam University in 2005.
Now close to her 90s, Hajiya Fatima currently runs a private school and a non-governmental organisation, which advances education of the girl-child.
Although she did not proceed for higher degrees, she has remained committed to doing her further academic studies at home by studying books and research papers written by her husband.
The story of Hajiya Fatima is a testament that education is a lifelong process.
