How Lagos Bank guard defied odds to earn two doctorate degrees, now accounting scholar
Learning is a process. The change wasn’t instantaneous. At Zenith Bank, I was trained as a frontline staff on how to handle members of the public. Here in an academic environment, what I learnt is helping me to handle students from diverse backgrounds,
Dr. Samuel Umanah's story is one of unlikely triumphs. He wasn't born into academia or privilege but instead followed a narrow path to acquiring two doctorate degrees (Accounting and Religion). In this interview with The Record’s Toyeeb Abdulquadri, he recounts some pivotal moments in his journey. From his early days as a security officer at one of Zenith Bank’s branches in Lagos State to his doctoral thesis on Board Characteristics and Financial Statement Fraud, completed at Igbinedion University, this interview chronicles how he navigated a system that wasn't built for him, proving that success is possible regardless of one’s background.
Q: Can we go back to the beginning? How did a security officer’s path lead to the world of academia and you acquiring a PhD?
A: I can recall vividly, after being employed by the then Zenith Int’l Bank Ltd, in one of the year-end get-together parties, the Mana…
