Posted by Chinenye on Wed 08th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
Actor Jim Iyke has shared his views on the role of education, mentorship and real-life experience in achieving success.
(Jim Iyke. Photo Credit: Glitz Africa)
Seasoned actor Jim Iyke has said that the real path to success lies in life experience, mentorship and survival skills, not just formal education.
Speaking in a recent interview with media personality Joey Akan, Iyke argued that many former students, including himself, are now doing far better than the teachers who taught them, questioning how many teachers are actually doing well in life.
He recalled meeting one of his professors, who has since passed on, on a plane, saying both of them knew who was doing better between them.
He added that if he had taken everything the professor taught him word for word and applied it in his pursuit of success, he wouldn't have made it.
The actor said he learned more from traders and mentors who had little formal education but had built considerable wealth.
He said what actually worked for him came from uncles and traders who barely went to school yet amassed untold wealth, recalling that they told him to always go left and never right.
He also credited a father figure who told him to forget the books and instead know when to be ruthless, when to conform, when to stand his ground, and what books were actually worth reading.
Iyke added that many of the world's wealthiest people did not build their fortunes in the classroom, questioning how many of them hold a PhD, and pointing out that he himself has a PhD holder working for him, adding that people could argue all they wanted.