Interview with Lawal Dahiru Rogo, Ph.D. in Medical Virology

Interviewer (Emmanuel Adutwum): Good Morning, Doctor Rogo.

Mr. Rogo: Good Morning

- Can you please tell us a little about yourself?

- My name is Lawal Dahiru Rogo, born in Rogo, Nigeria in 1975. I finished my primary education in 1988, junior high school in 1991 and senior high school 1994. Early 2003, I enrolled in Bayero University, Kano, for my first university degree. In 2006, I enrolled in Ahmadu Bello University teaching hospital for my associate’s postgraduate degree in medical bacteriology as a medical laboratory scientist and, at the same time, I was doing my Master’s in microbiology at the same university. In the 2009-2010 academic year, I was in the same hospital for a fellowship in hematology. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in medical virology at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran and a teacher at Bayero University, Kano in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science.

- Are you married?

- Yes, I am married.

- Can you tell us a little about your family?

- I am married and blessed with four children. I live with my wife and children together with some members of the extended family. We are a happy family and try to enjoy our lives in all situations. We try to live happily and peacefully with our neighbors and every person we come into contact with. It’s a family everyone would like to have.

- If I could ask, what's the magic formula for success in your opinion?

- [goes quiet for a moment] From my own point of view, there is nothing like magic in life. Any diligent person has to be serious, devote himself to what he has determined as a target, pray, and face the challenges ahead of him. Inshallah, with God’s help, he’ll realize that aim, and he’ll succeed. Magicians sometimes fail during their performance so there is nothing like magic. Practice, they say, brings perfection, and with determination and hard work, success will embrace you.

- Tell me about a time you took a leadership position in something.

- I quite vividly remember when I was studying my Bachelor’s degree. I happened to be the President of the Nigerian Microbiology Students Association at Bayero University. It was quite a good experience as it was the first time I held a leadership position in something. I had the cooperation of my other colleagues who helped me to handle the position with ease.

- Who influenced you the most in your early years? How about now?

- Ok… When you look at your early life, you could see that the immediate environment around you contributes a lot to your early life. When I was young, I could always see my elder brothers neatly dressed in their school uniforms when going to school. When I looked at them, I always told myself that I have to be like them. I became passionate about going to school from that early age due to my brothers’ conduct.  Therefore, I can say that my immediate family was the major influence in my early life. During adulthood, I have encountered lots of people in my life and most of them have contributed positively to my life and educational career. I would like to mention a few of them such as Dr A. H. Kawo, my supervisor during my Bachelor’s degree; Professor A. A. Ahmed, my supervisor during my Master’s; and Professor Mukhtar Azadi, my current supervisor at TUMS. They’re the kind of people that whenever you’re with them, they encourage you. As such, they deserve to be mentioned and appraised.

- How would you rate TUMS professors in terms of research?

- At TUMS, you easily achieve most of the things you require to do your research. Here, the professors are good and the materials needed for research are almost always available. The professors are exceptional with lots of research experiences. Each professor at our department has got quite a good number of published research papers. They’re the best I could get, and I have learned a lot from them, an accumulation of experience which will help me in my future research endeavors. The professors deserve an excellent remark.

- Do you consider yourself successful at TUMS?

- Of course. I am here for my Ph.D. which I had estimated to complete in three years or more. But with hard work and cooperation on the part of my department, I am almost at the last phases of the program which hopefully will be completed by the end of this year; a little less than three years. I can say that I am more than a success.

- Do you have plans for furthering your studies? An advanced degree, perhaps?

- Currently, I am working with Bayero University as an academic staff member. After my graduation, I will have to go back to continue my job for some time. Now that I am almost through with my Ph.D., the next level will be Fellowship or Post-Doctorate. I obviously have plans of continuing to these levels.

- Tell us about a team project that you are particularly proud of and your contribution to that project.

- I have always dreamt of working at the molecular level since the early years of my career. In my current Ph.D. research, I am working on the influenza virus at the molecular level. I am working on how this virus infects humans and the immune system’s responses against this virus. As a student, my contribution is working as the leader in the research, though I seek advice from my supervisors whenever necessary.

- Sounds good! Could you provide us with examples of games you remember playing as a child.

- When I was a child, I remember I could play football till sunset. I liked playing football all the time, and I was well-known for that. I played for my school’s team at the early years of my education. There was also a local wrestling competition in the town but I wasn’t an active participant though I used to be there for some days.

- What are your fond memories of high school?

- [laughs] I remember during high school, I, together with my friends, used to discuss what we would like to be in the future. I remember some of us would express wanting to become doctors, engineers, and so on. At last, we became medical laboratory technicians, lecturers and health care managers. It was so interesting. Nowadays, I meet some of them, and we talk about such memories and laugh. I wish we could have those moments again. My friends were so amazing and helpful, and I still remember most of them. 

- What advice do you have for young people of today?

- If I am to advise or to say something to them, I will tell them to be serious. Life has changed completely; in the past you could get things easily but it’s a different situation in the current world. As such, the only way to succeed is to be serious. They should act as quick as possible and make decisions on issues they confront. They shouldn’t be lackadaisical but rather diligent and hardworking. Surely, determination will see them through successfully in life.

- It was a pleasure talking to you

- Thank you very much.