‘SkillsRatherThanJustDegree’ book sparks debate as Pantami calls critics out for intellectual showdown

The former minister of Communications and Digital Economy in Nigeria, Professor Isa Pantami, has challenged his colleagues in the academic settings, friends and brothers who are distorting one of his fast-selling books to come forward for an intellectual debate on any university campus of their choice in Nigeria.

Professor Pantami raised the challenge in response to his popular ‘SkillsRatherThanJustDegrees’ book published two years ago.

According to him, the book is now being translated into other international languages as requested by the natives of these languages.

In a statement on his official Facebook page, the Nigerian politician and Islamic cleric, who was minister of Communications and Digital Economy from 2019 to 2023 knocked some academics, brothers, friends and colleagues who intend to distort the actual message of the book on social media.

He added that instead of writing their books to counter or ridicule the global paradigm shift advocated by the book, “some indirectly criticise without reading the book and, ironically, also go ahead and make recommendations the same with the advocacy of the book.”

“As a result, all the academics (our colleagues) who have challenged the book are invited (to nominate the best 3 among them) for an intellectual debate on any campus (University) in Nigeria (of their choice, not for the author to choose) to either challenge the author of the book or defend their arguments before a neutral audience.

Professor Pantami while expressing readiness for the debate, asked the potential debaters to reach out to some selected intellectual contest coordinators, stressing that “Academia is about substance and goes beyond making noise on Facebook and other social media platforms.”

“The best 3 selected by them can reach out to the following proposed academics as coordinators of the intellectual public discussion (@yakubwudil, @adeoluaakande, @el_bonga, Dr Adamu Tilde, @Realoilsheikh and any other academic of their choice) preferably in this month (May, 2024). In fact, the author will be available for the intellectual debate as early as tomorrow in sha Allah, if the venue is not too far from Abuja. Academia is about substance and goes beyond making noise on Facebook and other social media platforms.

“Finally, the floor is yours to choose the venue, the best among the critics to be adopted by the consensus of all of them, just specify the date & time. The best to be selected among our colleagues can intellectually ridicule the author and his book as he still stands on the paradigm shift he advocates.”