HomeMeet Joshua Beckford -...

Meet Joshua Beckford – The Nigerian Who Is The Youngest Ever Oxford University Student

By Balogun Kamilu Lekan

Photo: Duchess International Magazine

Joshua Beckford is now the youngest student at Oxford University. Joshua Beckford, a Nigerian kid, entered Oxford University at six and graduated from the Department of History and Philosophy at the premature age of 14.

Despite having a high-functioning autism diagnosis, Beckford was said to be a quick learner. He was able to read, write, and comprehend the alphabet as a 10-month-old infant. At the age of two, Beckford could read with ease, and by the time he turned three, he could speak Japanese. He is one of the smartest people on the planet.

Unlike his peers, Joshua was homeschooled and started learning at ten months

Beckford was abandoned 48 hours after his birth in London and was adopted by Knox and his wife when he was a baby. Beckford is said to be of Nigerian descent.

His father, Knox Daniel, claimed that he first observed his son’s intelligence while perched on his lap using the internet. “When I began describing the keyboard’s letters to him, I became aware that he was remembering and comprehending.” He said

His father then wrote to the university in 2011 to ask if he might enrol in a philosophy course for gifted kids between the ages of eight and thirteen in order to push his son. Joshua was the youngest student ever accepted once they agreed. Even so, he earned a distinction.

Joshua has also recorded remarkable success outside of academics as he is the spokesperson for the Black and Minority (BME) campaign of the National Autistic Society. He also contributes to the campaign’s goal of highlighting barriers Black people must overcome to access the care and services they require for autism.

Joshua has also received various honours, including the 2017 National Diversity Awards’ Positive Role Model of the Year title. As a Low-Income Families Education (L.I.F.E) Support Ambassador for five nations—Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa—as well as the United Kingdom, where Joshua was born, he also represents the Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network (BMAN).

He also plans to be a neurosurgeon and has also written a children’s book about Egypt.

Disclaimer

The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for Live and Entertaining Updates.

Always visit NewsWireNGR for the latest Naija news and updated Naija breaking news.

NewsWireNGRLatest News in Nigeria

Send Us A Press Statement/News Tips on 9ja Happenings: [email protected].

Advertise With Us: [email protected]

Contact Us

LISTEN to NewsWireNGR PODCASTS

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Most Popular

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More from Author

Cheta Nwanze: Failed visa Marriages

by Cheta Nwanze The 1990 film Green Card told a relatively innocent...

Digital Marketing for Attorneys

In the competitive landscape of legal services, personal injury and medical...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Read Now

“No Victor, No Vanquished” — Angbazo calls for unity after Nasarawa ADC Governorship Primary win

LAFIA — Retired General Nuhu Angbazo has emerged victorious from the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship primaries in Nasarawa State, calling on all party faithful to sheathe their swords and rally behind a common vision for the state's development. In a press statement issued shortly after his victory...

Lazarus Angbazo: The Countries that will lead the AI Economy are being decided right Now — By Their PowerGrids

Nigeria has enough installed generation to power a mid-sized country. The grid delivers less than half of it. Around the world, the race to build AI-ready power infrastructure is already underway — and the decisions African governments and investors make in the next eighteen months will determine...

Cheta Nwanze: Failed visa Marriages

by Cheta Nwanze The 1990 film Green Card told a relatively innocent story: a French immigrant and an American woman enter a marriage of convenience so he can stay in the US. They barely know each other. They hope never to see each other again after the deal...

Digital Marketing for Attorneys

In the competitive landscape of legal services, personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys are finding themselves overshadowed by competitors who dominate online visibility. The root of this issue lies in the digital presence that many firms lack. While traditional word-of-mouth referrals still hold value, the digital age...

Lazarus Angbazo: The global power industry is leaving Africa behind

 Dr. Lazarus AngbazoThe nascent AI revolution is not just driving electricity consumption and massive demand for additional capacity—it is reshaping how power is built, maintained, and delivered. For Africa, the real risk is no longer just insufficient capacity—it is also losing control and ability to manage the capacity it...

Bunmi Onabanjo-Kuku: The first thing you feel when you land in Nigeria

By Bunmi Onabanjo-Kuku The first thing you feel when you land in a country is not its culture, not its cuisine, not its people. It is its airport. That threshold, the space between the jet bridge and the city beyond, tells you everything a nation believes about itself...

Dr. Lazarus Angbazo: Why a fractured world strengthens the case for African Infrastructure

How inflation, energy insecurity, power scarcity, and geopolitical fragmentation are reshaping the risk-return case for African infrastructure By Dr. Lazarus Angbazo At a recent global infrastructure summit, the prevailing mood among institutional investors was unmistakable. Faced with surging capital requirements for energy transition, grid expansion, and digital infrastructure in Europe and...

Aliko Dangote to launch what could become Africa’s largest initial public offering to raise $5 billion from investors

Nigeria’s biggest local investor, Aliko Dangote, is moving ahead with plans to launch what could become Africa’s largest initial public offering, as Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals prepares to raise up to $5 billion from investors. The share sale is expected to open as early as May, with...

Criminal networks have turned Nigeria’s telecom towers into open-air warehouses for theft, looting

Criminal networks have turned Nigeria’s telecom towers into open-air warehouses for theft, looting 656 critical power assets across 14 states in 2025 alone and keeping up the pace in early 2026. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showed the haul included 152 generators and 504 batteries stolen from...

Paul Yirenkyi: A call for Caution Needed, President Tinubu and the INEC-ADC Crisis

I have seen enough cycles of tension and resolution to recognise when restraint must prevail over confrontation. The current standoff between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is one such moment. In early April 2026, INEC withdrew recognition of the Senator...

Nigeria’s opposition landscape appears increasingly fractured, disorganised and strategically weakened

10 months until the 2027 general elections, Nigeria’s opposition landscape appears increasingly fractured, disorganised and strategically weakened. Although no fewer than 21 political parties have been registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in the polls, developments within the parties, including internal crises, litigations and other destabilising factors, may...

Power shortages weaken Nigeria’s business activity 

Nigeria’s business environment continued to expand in March 2026 but slowed as rising input costs and power supply deficits weighed on performance, according to the latest Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) report by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). The report indicates that the Current Business Performance Index declined...