There’s some truth to ‘school na scam’. I’m doing better than all my lecturers – Jim Iyke

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has stirred conversations on social media after arguing that financial success is not necessarily acquired through formal education, saying many of his most valuable lessons about wealth came from experienced traders and mentors rather than university lecturers.

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Speaking on Joey Akan’s podcast released on Tuesday, July 7, the actor questioned whether many academics achieve greater success than the students they teach.

“Can we even argue about the people who are our tutors, our professors? How many of them are really doing well in life? Haven’t you exceeded every tutor that ever sat in the classroom to tell you the dynamics of how to survive in the economic world?” he asked.

Jim Iyke recalled an encounter with one of his former lecturers during a flight, using it to illustrate his point about success outside academia. “I met my professor recently, God bless his soul. We all knew who was doing better when we sat on that plane. I had to look back to greet him; he had to look forward to greet me. Somebody sat in business class, but that’s not the point,” he said.

According to the actor, following only what he learned in school would not have led to his current level of success. “I’ll tell you what worked, it’s what the uncles spoke to me, the traders that barely went to school but amassed untold wealth. The father that sat in front of me and told me, ‘Forget all that book. This is a time to be ruthless, this is a time to conform, this is a time to stoop to conquer.’”

He also argued that many of the world’s wealthiest individuals built their fortunes without relying on advanced academic qualifications. “Some of the wealthiest men in the world did not get it from classrooms. How many of them have PhDs? I have a PhD that works for me,” he added.

Jim Iyke, who studied Philosophy at the University of Jos, is known for sharing outspoken opinions on social and economic issues. His comments have generated mixed reactions online, with some agreeing that practical experience and mentorship can be more valuable than formal education in building wealth, while others argued that education and real-world experience complement one another rather than compete.

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