Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has described Western education as merely a “formality,” suggesting that formal schooling is not necessary to succeed in life.

The governor made the comments while addressing a gathering of farmers and artisans in Bauchi. A video of his speech was shared on Instagram by Bashir Usman.

In his message to the crowd, Governor Mohammed encouraged young people to avoid harmful habits and focus on self-improvement. “Try to be focused and turn a new leaf. Stop drinking and stop taking what will destroy your brain,” he said.

He emphasized that many successful people began with little or no formal education. Using himself as an example, the governor said, “Today, Bala did not go to school but he became somebody.”

He told the audience that having Qur’anic education is more valuable than Western education for those involved in trades like farming. “Western education is a formality, but if you have Qur’anic education, you have knowledge of what it takes and you’ve helped yourself in knowing what you want, especially in farming — that is education,” he added.

Governor Mohammed also spoke about the dignity of labour, especially in jobs like truck driving. He said many wealthy individuals started from humble beginnings. “Any rich person you see today started from driving. From the onset, it is a job that brings prosperity. All the rich people you see today started as drivers of trailers. Don’t overlook self-trading jobs. I don’t know anyone who got rich from car washing, but drivers did,” he stated.