What is your academic background and what do you do for a living?

My name is Alvin Ilenre. I studied History and International Studies at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Oyo State. I’ve been out of jobs since February 2022. So, I just hustle basically. Before then, I had done several things here and there but that’s it for me. Those were things I did before. Right now, I’m unemployed. That’s it for who I am for now.

You were seen recently in a viral video burning some documents, which you described as your certificates. Did you truly burn the certificates?

Yes, of course. I burnt my certificates. I burnt them because I was going through some things and I needed to give myself closure. That was why I burnt them.

What were the certificates you burnt?

I didn’t know where I dropped my secondary school certificate amid all these, but the certificates I burnt were my university, primary school leaving, and National Youth Service Corps certificates. Also, there were certificates I didn’t burn. I need to state that I’m a minister of God, a trained minister even though I won’t mention my ministry. I didn’t burn the certificates from the ministry, because I was impacted by the grace of God over there so, I never burnt those. But I burnt the educational certificates that are useless in the country.

What were the things you were going through that made you destroy your academic certificates?

If I ever need the certificates again, I’ll print others from a third party and you have to collect them. I’ll just have to contact a friend, who has a certificate to show me his, go ahead to print, then give it to whoever I want to give it to. After giving them (employer) and they think I didn’t go to school, they should go and check the records; they’re there. At least, my academic records are going to be seen, unlike some people whose records are missing.

Does burning your academic certificates not mean that the energy, effort, and money spent to obtain them was a waste?

No, they’re not a waste from my point of view. Waste can be put in different perspectives but this particular subject and action cannot be described as a waste. It is also not a waste of money. We must emphasise knowledge, we must give relevance to what is in someone’s head over what they have on paper. We must emphasise and preach that gospel.

What was the reaction of your parents and close friends when you decided to burn the certificates?

Fortunately, I happen to be the son of an activist, Alfred Ilenre, and I guess that the blood runs deep and we cannot just sit and watch corruption, irrelevance, and injustice thrive in Nigeria. My father is deceased now, but from what he passed on to me and what I have learned while growing up, we speak the truth about what we’re going through and we’re not cowards. If my father were alive, the Alfred Ilenre that I know, who was a journalist and an activist, would be proud of me. He would sit me down and congratulate me. My mum, on the other hand, who’s alive, feels a little bit sad that I burnt my certificates, but I’ve sent people to speak to her. However, she has always known who I am and that is the same way with those who have always known me. They know that it is not something that I cannot do. I should have burnt them a long time ago and I feel this is even late.

Do you think burning your certificates will prompt the government to make better decisions in the interest of the youth?

Burning the certificates, I believe, will sensitise the people and make the government aware of certain things that are not being done rightly. See, I know that our government is stone-hearted, but at the same time, they have a conscience. As I earlier mentioned, this is beyond me. We’re making consultations; I have sacrificed my certificates and I’ve spoken to other people. We want to sensitise Nigerian youths to certain important things, call for better knowledge and make them see it better. This issue of certificates and education in Nigeria to me is like weaponising illiteracy in the life of the poor man, whereas, the children of the rich are sent abroad to be well educated and get the right knowledge, while the children of the poor in Nigeria get certificates that their children will come back to lord over. The government may not do anything now because it is their handiwork, but with consistency in advocacy and showing our dissatisfaction, they’ll be forced to do it in the future or the people will force them to do it.