Christ's School 90th Anniversary Lecture by Segun Aganga

THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

90 years of Producing Well-rounded and Outstanding Global Citizens.

By, 

Olusegun Aganga CON, 30/9/23

at the 90th Anniversary celebration of founding Christ's School, held in London on 30/9/23

Protocol.

Today, we gather here to commemorate a remarkable milestone in the history of our esteemed institution - the 90th anniversary of our school: Christ School, Ado-Ekiti. It is a momentous occasion, a testament to the enduring commitment to education and progress that has defined our institution since its inception. The topic of today’s lecture which has been organised as part of the celebrations by the Alumni Association of Christ School Ado-Ekiti in the United Kingdom is “THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT”.

    According to Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, co-authors of “Why Nations Fail”, nations fail because institutions are weak or do not exist. This conclusion is based on extensive research and study of different nations. Why? In my book, Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa, I identified some of the main institutions and the relative importance of some of them particularly as they relate to our great country, Nigeria. I will summarise the points I made in the book. There are three main Institutions: Political, Economic and Social Institutions. In the case of Nigeria, the Political Institutions include: political parties, the electoral commission, national and state assemblies, the Govt etc. Economic Institutions include the Central bank, ministries of finance, petroleum, industry trade and investment and all their agencies and Social Institutions include the Ministries and Agencies responsible for Education, Health, Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation, Human Rights and the family systems. For each Institution, the quality of governance and management, how the staff is recruited, trained, motivated, compensated, recognised, and held accountable amongst other factors, determine the weakness or strength of each Institution. One common factor which determines all these is the quality of the people and that is determined by the level and quality of the education system in the country, national values, attitude to work, skills acquired etc. These make the Institutions responsible for Education such as universities, technical institutions and secondary schools, the most or one of the most important institutions for national development. In fact according to Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Through education, the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, and a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. We have seen evidence of this in some parts of Nigeria when Chief Obafemi Awolowo made education free and compulsory in the Western Region. Many children of farmers who saw farming in their villages as the only option for survival had to go to school. Today many of them are renowned international professors, doctors, engineers, etc. That is why the name Awolowo remains indelible in the hearts and minds of so many Nigerians.

Education empowers individuals with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for personal and societal advancement. Education helps in:

1. Governance and democracy: An educated population is more informed and engaged, fostering good governance and democratic participation. All the institutions are only as strong or weak as those driving the political institutions allow. So, producing quality citizens for political institutions can not be over-emphasised. That is where they are taught leadership, governance skills, and values such as honesty, integrity, hard work, and patriotism... just think about your days at Christ's School.

2. Human capital development: Educated individuals become a skilled and productive workforce, driving economic growth and innovation. Education must be relevant to the economy and development to maximise the benefits of Education. Countries like the US, China, Japan, Germany, and India, have all depended on their educational system and related Institutions to produce leaders and quality workforce to drive their political and governance systems and rank amongst the top 5 economies in the world.

3. Poverty reduction: By providing opportunities for better jobs and economic mobility, education helps alleviate poverty and improve living standards.

4. Social development: Education fosters social cohesion, tolerance, and understanding among diverse communities, promoting harmony and stability. This is essential for a good society and a diverse country such as Nigeria.

5. Technological advancement: Education fosters research and development, driving technological innovation and competitiveness on a global scale. China's focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education has played a key role in its technological advancements and manufacturing capabilities and India's education system has produced a large number of IT professionals, contributing to its position as a global outsourcing hub for software and services.

Overall, education is a cornerstone of national development, enabling countries to achieve sustainable growth, prosperity, and improved quality of life for their citizens. Scandinavian countries have done very well in education, and Estonia has recently been identified as one of the best in Europe, particularly in mathematics and science. So as we celebrate the 90th anniversary of Christ School Ado-Ekiti it is right to pause and spend a moment to assess how the school has indeed played its role in Nigeria’s development.

Brief history of the school

Christ’s School was founded in 1933 by Archdeacon Henry Dallimore and, Governor Bernard Henry Bourdillon opened the school. In Archdeacon Dallimore’s last interview conducted by Emeritus Professor Adelola Adeloye, he explained why he founded the School. He said and I quote “...There was no source of leadership then in the district and provision had to be made for it. The school is to prepare pupils for this leadership”. It was clear that right from the outset Christ's School was set up to produce leaders that would play a major role in the development of our nation. To achieve this goal the emphasis was on academic excellence, character formation and spiritual insight. To achieve academic excellence and diversity, some of the brightest students were admitted from all over the country, including the United Kingdom, not just Ekiti as was originally envisaged, and the students had some of the best and dedicated local and international teachers. Some of the Teachers wrote the textbooks for secondary schools in Nigeria - Mr. Busbridge wrote Maths textbooks, and others wrote textbooks for physics, chemistry, and biology. I wonder how many schools can boast of such teachers?

    Today, I am delighted to recognise the presence of one of the teachers in our midst, Reverend Geoffrey Gardener, who taught history and bible knowledge in the sixties. Reverend Gardener is about 96 years old now but he is still looking very fit and gave a beautiful sermon at the church service this afternoon. Right from form 4 you start getting guidance on your career. That was when students were called into meetings and based on their academic records and discussions they were allocated Physics, Chemistry Biology (PCB), or Maths, Physics and Chemistry (MPC), or Chemistry, Biology and Geography (CBG) or Biology, History (BH) as main subjects. PCBs are expected to work towards becoming medical doctors or scientists, MPC, engineers; CBG, geologists and BH, lawyers, historians, or majors in Arts, literature and humanities. Of course, some PBCs and MPCs with fine art became Architects. How many schools offered anything near career counselling from secondary school then or even now? 

    The education was rounded/comprehensive; we had lessons on farming in the school farm, and periods for block making, typing, drama, debating society, and sports. We won the Western State Cup in Football and volleyball and some of the students represented the then Western State in these sports. I was privileged to be a member of the Christ School volleyball team that emerged as the best in Western State and I and others including our super striker and Captain, Femi Falana (known as Femai) were in the team that represented western state in the first national sports festival. High academic standards were set. For example, in some subjects, a credit (C4) was almost a failure and at the beginning of every term the list of the top 20 in each class was published. We all tried our best to make that list. Overall, there was healthy competition amongst students.

    On character formation, we were taught to be punctual at all times, obey school rules, and values such as transparent honesty were rewarded. For example, if Student A committed a major offence and told the truth and Student B committed a lesser offence but lied, it was certain that Student B who committed a lesser offence but lied would get a bigger punishment which would include being sent home to tell your parents that you told a lie in school. Dishonesty was abhorred. Discipline was the order of the day. And on spiritual insight, we started and ended the day with prayers and singing of hymns from Ancient and Modern in our dormitories. In between, we had services in the chapel before going to our classrooms and another service before evening prep. Form 1 students were required to learn the first and last verses of at least 20 hymns from Ancient and Modern by heart within 3 weeks of joining the school with the help of one of the senior boys. Religious studies was compulsory and it was common for most of the students sitting for WASC then to achieve A grade in the subject. That was the norm. And all these prepared us for leadership roles and national development.

    I have always said I am what I am today because of the parental upbringing I had and the school I went to - Christ's School. Both are part of the social institutions we must strengthen. I expanded on this in my book, “Reclaiming The Jewel Of Africa” and also explained how my parents successfully convinced me to go to Christ School instead of King's College or Igbobi in Lagos. KC and Igbobi are excellent schools but Christ School ticked all the boxes. Christ's School had a history of selecting the best students from all over Nigeria particularly from the southern part of the country regardless of their backgrounds and developing them into world-class nation builders and globally accomplished technocrats. I will give some examples or evidence to support this claim.

How has Christ School contributed to National Development?

There are many ways we can approach this but one of the ways is to look at the list of the recipients of The Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM). NNOM is an academic award conferred on distinguished academicians and intellectuals who have made outstanding contributions to the academic, growth and development of Nigeria. The award is often conferred on its recipient by the Federal Government of Nigeria following the nomination and approval of the Governing Board of the Nigerian National Order Merit of Award. It is the highest academic award in Nigeria and since its institution in 1979, the award has so far been conferred on only 70 distinguished academicians. Out of the 70 recipients to date, I am delighted to say that Christ School has the highest number. About 10% of the recipients attended Christ School Ado-Ekiti and they include: Prof. Ben Kayode Osuntokun, Prof. J F Ade-Ajayi, Prof. Ladipo, Adamolekun, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English at the University of New Orleans, Prof Niyi Osundare, Prof Tolu Olukayode Odugbemi etc. 

    Other old students of Christ School Ado-Ekiti have made exceptional contributions not only to Nigeria and Africa but to the world in different fields. For example: In medicine, we have: Emeritus Prof Adelola Adeloye: The 2nd Brain Surgeon in Nigeria who also built Neurosurgery in Nigeria along with Prof E. Latunde Odeku, the first Nigerian brain surgeon. He and Prof Odeku saved many lives of soldiers with tangential missile head injuries during the war. Prof Adeloye trained other brain surgeons, including Prof Olumide, and Prof MT Shokunbi, who then trained others. He made one of the biggest impact research in brain surgery both in Africa and globally. We also have Prof Femi Oyebode who retired as Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry at the University of Birmingham. He was a visiting professor at many universities around the world. In 2002 he was appointed Chief Examining Officer at the Royal College and in 2005, Prof Oyebode took over writing Sim's Symptoms in the Mind from its original author Andrew Sims (psychiatrist). Sim's Symptoms in the Mind is a textbook that has become a leading introduction to clinical psychopathology that was translated into Estonian, Korean, Portuguese and Italian. He was awarded the 2016 Royal College of Psychiatrists Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, gave him their highest award, the Honorary FRC Psych.

    The interesting thing is that Prof Oyebode is not only a psychiatrist but he is also an accomplished poet. He has published over seven volumes of poetry and in 2017 he was given Legend Recognition at the Creativity and Arts Awards. Professor Oyebode was part of the 1965 record-setting class at Christ School. About half of the class, 45 in number got grade 1 with many having less than 10 aggregates and about a third of the class, 33 in number, became medical doctors. What a set! My brother, Aganga Williams (Dayo), Dr. Seinde Alo, who is here tonight, are members of that special class. I must mention that Femi was the first President of the Alumni Association in the UK. I took over from him. Unfortunately, Professor Oyebode is not able to join us tonight because he is in Vienna receiving another award. We also have Dr Akin Ojo, a consultant general and breast surgeon in the UK. He specialises in Breast surgery, Thyroid and parathyroid surgery, gallbladder surgery, Hernia repair, and Endocrine disease, and Prof Wuraola Sokunbi, a Haematologist, to mention a few in medicine where Christ's School had produced many global icons practicing all over the world.

    Professor Sam Aluko, an acclaimed Nigerian public Economist and scholar is another. He was an Economic Adviser to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chairman National Economic Intelligence Committee 1994-1999, Economic Adviser to the president in 1979-1983 and was an informal adviser to the Action Group. I would like to share a short story on Professor Sam Aluko. In 1962, he was approached to serve as the regional economic adviser of the Western region for a salary of £2,942. At the time, he was a lecturer at the University of Ife, earning an annual wage of £1,000. He accepted the offer on the condition that his new salary be reduced to the level he was paid at Ife, stating that he will not be more productive at the new job than what he was doing at Ife. But this condition was rejected by the govt. He was truly a selfless and principled person. His brand of economic policy was critical of ostentatious

government spending. He was critical of opulence in the political class and advocated policies and initiatives to increase government income to fund economic development. It was a privilege to benefit from his wise counsel when I was Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Economic Management Team. Prof Sam Aluko visited me on a number of occasions to offer his advice on a number of matters and he made it clear that he was always available if I needed more. Incidentally, I was the college brother to one of his sons, the late distinguished senator Olugbenga Aluko - may his soul rest in peace.

    In Architecture, we have the likes of Professor Yinka Adeyemi and Chief Isaac Fola Alade, the celebrated doyen of Architecture in Nigeria. His works and projects include: 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, Federal Secretariat building, Ikoyi, Lagos, National Stadium, Lagos, Remembrance Arcade, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. Satellite Town, Lagos, Nigerian Airforce base, Ikeja, Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies building, Kuru, Plateau State, National Judicial Institute, Abuja and Nigerian Embassy buildings in 11 countries. What a contribution to national development by a Christ School old boy!

    In the diplomatic circle, we had His Excellency Dr. Christopher Kolade, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Emeritus Professor Akinjide Osuntokun, a member of Presidential Advisory Council on Foreign Relations and Dr. Eniola Ajayi. In banking, we had Chief Samuel Asabia, who was the first indigenous, CEO and MD of First Bank of Nigeria, Mr Macaulay Iyayi and Mr Jacob Ajekigbe also a former CEO/MD of First Bank, Dr Erastus Akingbola, founder of Intercontinental Bank, and at a time, an old boy of Christ's School was the most senior African in investment banking in Europe and was an MD at Goldman Sachs in London. In law and the judiciary, Christ School had the likes of Professor Akin Oyebode SAN, an erudite scholar and Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, Mr Gbenga Oyebode, Co-Founder of Aluko & Oyebode law firm which is the largest full-service law firm in Nigeria. In oil and gas, it had Rt Hon Uduimo Itsueli, a former president of Christ's School Alumni Association, who served as the chairman of NNPC and is now Chairman of Dubril Oil, Africa’s first independently owned oil producing company. 

    In the public service, Christ School has also produced state governors like Dr Kayode Fayemi, Prince Dapo Abiodun and Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria like Chief J.E. Babatola, (Regional Minister) Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, Olusegun Aganga, Kayode Fayemi and recently Dele Alake. Christ's School has also produced many permanent secretaries at the federal level such as Babaijo Olusegun Ogunkua, Dr Goke Adegoroye and of course many commissioners and permanent secretaries at the state level. Today, we have thousands of credible and highly accomplished old students of Christ's  School Ado-Ekiti all over the world in different sectors from Medicine to humanities, finance, engineering to public service. I doubt that any secondary school in Nigeria has produced as many Professors, particularly in medicine, as Christ School. Almost all our doctors who graduated at a particular time in Nigeria were trained by old students of Christ School. There is hardly any university in Nigeria that does not have an old student as a professor doing what they love doing best - equipping Nigerians with the academic knowledge, skills and character they require for national development and providing them with the foundation they require to conquer the world, to speak and to be heard anywhere in the world. The beauty of all these is that, despite their accomplishments, Christ's School alumni are known for their humility and respect for other schools. They are quiet achievers and exemplars in many fields. I understand that in a particular year at the University of Ibadan, 8 out of the 10 university scholars selected based on performance in the entry examination were from Christ's School. Up School!

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I think we can confidently say that the school has not just met but it has exceeded all the expectations of the founder. It has truly been 9 decades of producing accomplished and highly credible leaders with strong values for Nigeria and the world. That is what we are here to celebrate ladies and gentlemen. What is the outlook for the next 50 years? Will our educational system continue to produce leaders who have the prerequisites to strengthen our institutions, and drive Nigeria’s economy and development? Some would say grim or gloomy if we continue on the same trajectory. The quality of education has been on a downward trajectory since most of the schools were taken over by the Government and the establishment of universities highly politicised. We seem to have forgotten that there is a strong link between the quality of education and the quality of the leaders we produce to run, develop and create wealth for the nation. When I was in government, I recall that in one of our meetings, there were discussions around setting up more state universities. I challenged it because, for me, the focus should be on the quality of education and not just the number or presence of institutions in every state of the federation, as argued by some other members. Some of my colleagues chuckled, and some smiled at my seeming incomprehension of the politics of schools and schooling in Nigeria. For them, the priority was to have at least one university in every state, regardless of whether or not the country had adequate resources and the workforce to run these universities effectively. Most ended up like glorified secondary schools! But we cannot have our cake and eat it. We cannot sacrifice quality on the altar of quantity and expect to have quality educational institutions. In the global competitiveness report issued by the World Economic Forum a few years ago, Nigeria ranked a frightening 136 out of 137 in basic requirements; in higher education and training, it ranked 116 and its primary education enrolment ranked 132. The quality of mathematics and science education ranked 118. These numbers improved slightly in subsequent reports.

The net effect is that many who can afford it are sending their children to private schools, other African countries like Ghana and to countries like Canada, UK, US and Russia. Others argue that we are about to see a change in trajectory as a result of a combination of factors: government handing schools back to their original owners with alumni associations taking a more active role in school administration, the potential to turn brain drain into brain gain at some stage in the future with the Nigerian’s in the Diaspora, the success and growth in the number of private educational institutions. For example, the ratio of public to private schools at both primary and secondary school levels in Lagos State is about 1 to 22 according to the Lagos State Commissioner of Education. In August 2023, the President of King’s College here in the UK, Professor Shitij Kapur, indicated that the Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has recorded landmark and unparalleled achievements within ten years of its establishment. He explained that the successes of the institution within a decade took King’s College, UK centuries to attain after its establishment in 1829.  Whatever happens, deliberate actions are required to ensure that educational institutions continue to play a major role in the development of our nation. It will involve Governments, original owners of schools, alumni associations, the private sector and NGOs working together. Here are some recommendations for Nigeria.

Way Forward

We must reform our educational system to produce a skilled, knowledgeable, disciplined and hardworking workforce to drive the economy and run our Institutions. At the secondary level, it should provide academic excellence, required skills, character formation and spiritual insight. This will involve: 

1. A system which provides compulsory, accessible and free education to all Nigerians up to secondary school level. This is where citizens acquire the 4 requirements to be considered educated: the ability to read and write, critical thinking, acquire the right sets of values and skills to be productive in society. According to research about 63% of Nigerians are literate but there is a large disparity across the country. According to UNESCO, the target should be at least 70%. In Finland, education is not only a fundamental right but also obtained free of charge from primary to university level.

2. Adequate and innovative funding model for schools and universities. In 2020, Budgetary allocation was 0.53% of GDP compared to a benchmark of 6% recommended by UNESCO. According to UNESCO, South Africa was about 6.6% and Namibia allocated 9.64% of GDP, the highest in Africa. It is remarkable that high-income countries spent about double the amount on education as low-income countries in 2020. The funding has to be enough to put an end to the perennial strikes by university lecturers. Thankfully the new Minister of Education has set up a committee to look into this.

3. Improved governance and management of the education sector. Appointing the right people, strengthening the institutions, addressing issues of overlapping mandates in the parastatals etc

4. Setting and enforcing standards by establishing a robust regulatory regime including the reintroduction of school inspectors. There must be consequences for breaching guidelines and operating below-established standards

5. Robust training and retraining programmes for teachers. There are not enough teachers and about 40% of teachers lack foundational competence. The teaching profession must be made very attractive and more teacher training colleges set up. In most countries that are ranked highly in education, such as the Scandinavian countries, teachers are some of the highest-paid workers, enabling them to attract and retain the best talent in the teaching profession. All teachers should undergo a minimum of 30 hours of continuing personal development (CPD) yearly. Each state should consider establishing a National Teaching Institute to ensure high-quality, regulated continuing professional development and training within the sector. Education that will lead to the socio-economic and political development of a country does not only require regular enhancement of the curriculum but delivery by professionals using information and communication technology.

6. Special programmes for particular states. One cap does not fit all. For example, the North-East and North-West need an educational system that recognizes the regions’ culture and peculiarities.

7. Drastically reducing the number of ‘out of school’ children. It is estimated that about 20 million children are out of school. This is almost the population of Gambia, Mauritius, Liberia and Sierra Leone put together.

8. The curriculum and teaching methods in colleges and universities must lead to institutions contributing significantly to scientific research, technological innovation, industrial development, entrepreneurship, and values-based leadership. The curriculum should be relevant to the economy, follow where investments, science and technology are going and seek to solve today's and tomorrow’s problems. There should be a compulsory general knowledge paper at A’level, University and training for Youth Corpers, which covers values-based leadership and societal issues such as corruption, diversity as a strength of a nation, democracy and the value of votes etc. Research institutes should be linked to the appropriate industries to allow the research institutes to develop innovative technologies that will support the competitiveness of the sectors.

9. Still on curriculum. 85% of Nigerian graduates have no digital skills in secondary and tertiary institutions according to a recent report issued by Getbundi. To equip these youths for the digital economy, it is pertinent that the curriculum is updated with relevant skills such as coding, data analysis, and cybersecurity, among others. This will also require expanding broadband infrastructure and reducing the cost of internet services. ICT tools and apps should be deployed to teach and learn.

10. Like China, Nigeria should focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This is necessary for technological advancements and to develop manufacturing capabilities.

11. Develop an effective programme for vocational training. This could involve a dual vocational education system which combines classroom learning with practical training, producing a highly skilled workforce for the manufacturing sector like Germany, Brazil, Japan and Singapore have done. An annual skills gap survey would greatly assist this process. Technical colleges should be given a lot more attention to give ‘life’ to the concept of the 6-3-3-4 educational system that Nigeria adopted in 1983. This provides for a child to spend six years in primary school, and three years in junior secondary school from where they either go for technical/vocational training or proceed to senior secondary school for another three years, and then spend another four years in university, depending on the course of study. The idea is to satisfy the educational ‘3Hs’ of the head, heart and hand. Most graduates of junior secondary schools move to senior secondary even when they lack the capacity, academically, for higher studies. The technical gap created by this implementation deficit has led Nigeria to depend on neighbouring West African countries for artisans (plumbers, electricians, etc.) and low-level skills critical for inclusive economic growth.

As I wrote in the book, Reclaiming The Jewel Africa, it is not by accident that India produces the most highly regarded graduates in engineering in the world today and also has a very highly developed technology industry. It was because a visionary leader, Nehru, who was the first PM of India, decided to establish the Indian Institute of Technology more than 50 years ago to produce world-class chemical, electrical and computer engineers who would play a transformative role in India. Today the IIT is the source of the biggest talent export to the world. Nigeria can and should do the same.

Finally, as we look back at our time in Christ School and who or what we have become, I think you will agree with me that although Archdeacon Dallimore has passed, his legacy lives in us. You will realise that although you left Christ School many years ago, you are what you are today because you had the  privilege to attend Christ School Ado-Ekiti. Not many people have that privilege. Some people gave their yesterday so that we may become national leaders and world beaters today. Let us honour the legacy of those who came before us and dedicate ourselves to shaping a future that builds upon their aspirations. As old students, the question is are we ready to give our today so that we and Christ School can leave the right legacy in the next generation? I hope the answer is a resounding yes!

I end with the School prayer

GRANT O GOD, THAT THIS SCHOOL MAY BE A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, NOT IN NAME ONLY BUT IN DEED AND IN TRUTH FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST WHOSE NAME WE BEAR.

Happy 90th Anniversary and here's to the next 90 years of producing well-rounded and outstanding global citizens. God bless Christ School Ado-Ekiti, God bless the Alumni Association, and God bless Nigeria.

Enjoy your dinner!

Olusegun O Aganga CON

30 September 2023.

Phenomenal Christ's School at 90

CELEBRATING THE PHENOMENAL CHRIST'S SCHOOL AT 90

By, Seye Adetunmbi

90 years ago, a British missionary, the Venerable Archdeacon Henry Dallimore, founded Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti. As a premium institution with a distinct heritage, the school has produced many distinguished Nigerians in all walks of life who continue to associate with the school at every opportunity. This milestone of nine decades of establishing the school is not an exemption. 
The alumni globally have been looking forward to the 2023 to come for them to roll out the drums and celebrate their alma mater with pump and pageantry. On the 30th of June, 2023, the President of Christ’s School Alumni Association, the umbrella body for all chapters and branches globally, Kunle Jinadu, issued a formal statement, an extract of which is quoted thus: “Glory to the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent for the opportunity to witness this auspicious event of the celebrations of Christ's School Ado-Ekiti Founder's Day. All we need to do as individuals is to think of our umbilical cord to our Alma mater, our journeys, training, relationships, experiences in school, out of school and realise what a great, solid foundation Christ's School offered us all. The Bible says if the foundation is destroyed what can the righteous do? Christ's School on the Agidimo hills gave us solid unforgettable foundation. We have built on the foundation and will keep building on the it. We are all testimonies to the good jobs our teachers did as molders. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, says the Bible. Those who love thee shall prosper. The school is our Jerusalem. We love Christ's School. In giving back to our alma mater, we shall all continue to prosper. Amen. Let us give back and build back our School better. Let the 90th Founders' day celebrations begin.” 

Archdeacon Henry Dallimore 5/2/1885-8/5/1970, the Founder of Christ's School

On Sunday 2/7/23 the president and fellow alumni gave thanks to God at Emmanuel Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti.

UK Chapter of the Alumni Association

The branch of Christ’s School Alumni Association in the United Kingdom evolved consequent to the ever growing numbers of the products of Christ’s School in Europe as applicable to North America Chapter and other parts of the world. They started on an informal note at various family events or gatherings of fellow old students. When it became necessary, they elected their pioneer executives and organised periodic meetings and strategic events to further engender interest in the association and give necessary support to the affairs of their alma mater back home. From inception to date, those who have led the association were Professor Femi Oyebode,  Messrs Ojo, Segun Aganga, Dr Akin Ojo, Mrs Nike Babatola, Dr Sola Isinkaiye and Sanya Haastrup, the current president. The alumni branch had been very supportive of the school back home and continues to complement the progressive activities of the global alumni association and that of other branches and chapters. In 2012, UK branch hosted the Homecoming and Reunion of the old students in Ado-Ekiti

The Holy Communion and Thanksgiving Service

The UK alumni celebrated the 90th anniversary on the 30th of September, 2023 in England. Holy Communion and thanksgiving service was held  in the afternoon at St John's Anglican Church 268 Albert Road North Woolwich in London. The eucharistic service was conducted by conducted by Reverend Dr Emeka while 96 years old Rev Geoffrey Gardner, one of the early expatriate teachers delivered the sermon. 

The Collect for Christ’s School and the Alumni during the service: "O God of time and eternity, with whom one day is a thousand years; and a thousand years as day or a watch in the night, we thank you for your goodness and mercy on your school, Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti that was founded through your grace ninety years ago. Thank you especially for your comfort, guidance and protection over all the present and past students of the school. Forgive all their sins and pardon their imperfections. Accord them those virtues which are acceptable to thee. Give them grace, as the alumni UK Chapter remembers the way you have led them, to offer themselves completely unto you. Also, teach them to number their days, that they may apply their hearts unto wisdom, in the faith and knowledge of Him who is the same yesterday, today and forever, Jesus Christ our Lord Amen."

Baba, 96 years old Reverend Geoffrey Gardner

This prayer was also said for the school: "Eternal Father, the giver of life and creator of all good things who did cause thy servant, Archdeacon Henry Dallimore to establish Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti 90 years ago; we thank thee oh Lord, for all Thy mercies bestowed on the school and her products from that time unto this present, humbly beseeching Thee to continue Thy gracious favour and protection on the school, the students and the alumni in mighty name of Jesus. Amen". And this intercession: "Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your children, members of Christ’s School Alumni Association, UK Chapter who today celebrates the 90th anniversary of their alma mater. We thank You for their Christian heritage they benefited from the school. We thank You for their families and friends that surround him. We are also grateful for the talent you have endowed them with individually and collectively and for many lives they have touched through their callings and integrated disposition. We pray that by Your grace and mercy, they may continue to be of service to you, in good health, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

We are the body of Christ. In the one spirit we were baptized into one body. Let us pursue all that makes for peace and build our common life...

Reception and 90th Anniversary Lecture 

Immediately after the church service, the reception for the event was held at Crowne Plaza London Docklands Hotel, Royal Victoria Dock, Western Gateway, London. A distinguished alumnus of Christ's School, Olusegun Aganga, onetime Managing Director of Goldman Sachs who served as the Nigerian Federal Minister of Finance, also as the federal minister of Industry, Investment and Trade delivered the 90th Anniversary Lecture. The title of the lecture is The Role of Educational Institutions in National Development. It was a stellar presentation by the international technocrat of repute who reiterated the place of Christ's School in his accomplishments in life. Likewise, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti-State and one time Federal Minister of Mineral Resources in Nigeria remarked in his goodwill message that Christ's School heritage contributed to his success in life as a product of the school. His Excellency, Ambassador Saraf Tunji Isola, the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom was the special guest of honour of the 90th anniversary celebration.

This quoted message I received from Baba Gardner through email second day after the remarkable celebration encapsulates the grand success of the memorable event: "What a splendid occasion that was, Seye. It was a pleasure to renew our friendship, and I enjoyed talking with you again. Above all I appreciated the gift from the Association of your book. I began reading it on the train going  home and found it quite un-put-down-able. You are a formidable researcher, and the book on Nigeria's Secondary Schools is a very valuable one. I shall study  it. And I shall show it to my son who was at one time a pupil at the International School, Ibadan...." - Geoffrey Gardner

TIMELINE OF LANDMARKS FROM 1933 TO 2023

1933: The School started as a Lower Middle School at the present Ekiti Anglican Bishop’s Court premises, Ado-Ekiti.

Venerable and Mrs Henry Dallimore

1934: As early as 1934, it was visible that the total impact of the education given was to make the individual a useful person to himself and to his community.

1936: In June 1936 the school moved to its permanent site on the crest of Agidimo Hill, Ado-Ekiti. On August 6th 1936, the Governor of Nigeria, Sir Bourdillon visited the school, on which occasion the name was changed to Christ's School.

1937: The Superintendent of Education in Ondo Province wrote: "The tone and discipline of the School are very good and altogether; this is one of the pleasantest Schools I have seen”

1940: Three dormitories were built and were named Block A, B & C which later became Harding House (Yellow), Babamboni House (Red) and Dallimore House (Green) respectively. Bishop House (Blue) was later built and named after Mason. In 1940 the Senior Education Officer, Owo and Benin Provinces wrote "This is the best School I have yet seen in Nigeria"

1943: Christ's School grew as a secondary school in stages, it moved up to Class IV in 1943.

1944: The High Master, Archdeacon Dallimore created a class of seven brilliant boys that he prepared for the Cambridge School Certificate Examination.

1945: Agriculture and cattle-keeping were included in the school programme. Likewise, Carpentry, Masonry and Gardening on every Crafts-Day (Wednesday). In 1945 the students presented for external examination passed with six in Grade II and one in Grade III.

1946-49: Students participated in the building of the School Chapel, new hostels, classrooms, new laboratories-and staff houses, all in granite stone masonry

1947: The Chapel was formally commissioned on February 5, 1947. February 5 was chosen in honour of the founder, Venerable Dallimore who was born same day in 1885, in England. Dallimore left in 1947, Chief E. A. Babalola acted as High Master for 6 months period of interregnum and Rev Canon L. D. Mason stepped into office as Principal in January 1948. The ship that brought Canon Mason berthed in Lagos on Friday, 17th August, 1945 and he was met in Ibadan the following day by Leslie Murphy and his first tour of duty at Igbobi College had started. He completed a first tour of some two years on the staff of Igbobi College, where he was appointed a House Master and during this time, the school moved back to Lagos. Rev Canon L. D. Mason stepped into office as Principal of Christ’s School in January 1948.

1948: The official first set of the Senior Cambridge School leavers was produced. The officially recognized set of Senior Cambridge School Certificate candidates sat for their papers at Ilesha in Academic excellence reached its peak under Reverend Canon L. D. Mason (1948-66).

A small electricity generator was installed in 1948 by Mason, there was none in the whole of Ado Township then and the school always stood tall over the hills at night.

1949: Science Laboratories were built using students labour. Additional Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Fine Arts, Physics, Technical Drawings and Zoology became part of the curriculum.

1950: The School crest was formerly introduced to the school documents between 1949 and 1950 by the “Brand Master”, Canon Mason. Mr Ben Oluwole was among the students in the Library with him when he got the inspiration for the original concept of the timeless school emblem.

1952: Reverend Canon Mason got approval for The School as a Cambridge recognized centre for school certificate examinations.

1954: The last set of students writing School Certificate Examinations in Form VI and the first set writing the examinations in Form V sat jointly for the examinations.

1955: The Anglican Girls’ School was established, opposite the Agidimo Hill site of the Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti.

1958: 28 students passed with Grade I, 15 in Grade II and 4 in Grade III

1966: On retirement of Canon Mason, Venerable R. Akinloye Ogunlade stepped in as Principal of Christ’s School. The same year, the Ekiti Anglican Girls Grammar School merged with Christ’s School

1968: Between 1968 and 1970, the school Post Office was built and the road from gate to Principal’s office was tarred with active participation of the students.

1975: Christ’s School won the Principal’s Cup in 1975

1978: Akinjide Ogunjobi HSC 78-79/085 and Akosile HSC 78-79/282 composed an anthem which was common among the later day and new generation of old students; Christ’s School is the place amongst mountains....

1979: After 13 years as a mixed school, the Girls section was separated from the boy’s School and named Christ's Girl’s School, while the boy’s section simply remained as Christ's School.

1980: Canon L. D. Mason made a return visit to Nigeria.

1984: Christ's School had the boarding facility restored in September 1980 after the systematic but gradual scheme of closing down boarding facilities all over old Ondo State and other states in the old western region.

1985/86: The first intervention project by Old Students by refurbishing the old Form I Classroom, which was dilapidating. It was embarked upon by the 1956-60 set and commissioned by Governor Mike Akhigbe of Ondo State. Other sets have followed ever since. HSC Programme was reintroduced into Christ's School and two other schools in Ondo State. The system closed down in 1990 with the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 Education System in Nigeria.

1988: Commissioning by Canon L. D. Mason of the ultra-modern School Library built in place of the semi-circular flower bed, a project jointly financed by the School (majorly), students labour, the PTA and old students, mainly the 1957 Set that paid for the cost of Canon Mason's flight to Nigeria. That was Canon Mason's last visit to Nigeria. The year also witnessed the tarring of the main driveway again, which was commissioned by Governor Ernest Adeleye, an old student, then Governor of Rivers State.

1989: Canon L. D. Mason passed away. His ashes were brought by Chief S.B. Falegan from Sheffield, U.K. and interred on the grounds of the School Chapel, an occasion celebrated in the typical Yoruba way of celebrating the passage of community Titans.

1991: Christ's School won for keeps the Ondo state Principal's Cup football competitions on winning the Cup that year for the third consecutive year 1989, 1990 and 1991.

1992: The shopping complex built with School fund, assisted with student labour was commissioned.

1995: Venerable Rufus Akinloye Ogunlade, first African Principal of the School, earlier a Teacher, Sports Master, Vice-Principal, died and his body was interred on the grounds of the School Chapel.

2001: Commissioning of the "Ghana House" a donation to the School by an Alumnus Olusola Luther-King (Olusola Alagbe)

2009: Commissioning of the Alumni Hall, a block whose foundation was laid in 1969, meant to be a School Assembly Hall, but which remained abandoned until 2009 when the Old Students Association took over, completed it to finish and named it Alumni Hall.

2010: Total refurbishing of the School Chapel which was supervised by Chief SB Falegan and the Dining Hall were completed as Alumni Projects. The Anglican Bishop of Ekiti, Most Rev'd S. A. Abe rededicated the buildings on completion. Also, in 2010, a block of dormitory was presented to the Girls' Section by Dr. Kayode Obembe, onetime Alumni National President.

2013: The 80th Anniversary of the School was celebrated with grandeur, by which time the Alumni Association had been playing decisive roles. Seye Adetunmbi packaged a book titled “In Deed and in Truth”; the publication was sponsored by Lagos Branch of the Alumni Association to mark 80th anniversary of founding Christ’s School.

Dr U. Justus Itsueli

2015: Sir Uduimo Justus Itsueli was elected the President of the Alumni Association and the new EXCO was inaugurated in March 2016.

2016: Alumni raised fund to fence the premises of Girls Section of the School. On 26/8/16, the Alumni President led the delegation to Chief Ayo Fayose, the Governor of Ekiti-State

2017: The report of the working committee of Christ’s School was concluded and the proposal to Ekiti State Government for the handover of the school was submitted. The gate of main campus was built by 1973-77 set to mark their 40 years of graduating from the school.

2018: Handover proposal was presented to Ekiti-State government

2019: Ekiti State Government under the leadership of Dr Kayode Fayemi formally handed over Christ’s School to the Anglican mission in Ekiti in September 2019.

2020: Kunle Jinadu was elected the alumni president in the first electronic voting by the alumni body and will go down as the best election held so far by the alumni association

2021: Three sets held their homecoming. 1975-80 set hosted tarred the road to the two school compounds and build the gate for the Girls’ section. Members of the HSC 1978-1980 and 1979-1981 donated furniture and laboratory equipment to the school.

2022: The hybrid HSC 1978 and 1979 Group had their Homecoming in April 2022

2023: President of the alumni association and selected members of the alumni body met with the Diocesan, the proprietor on the 1/6/23 to further smoothen things out for the proper running and progress of Christ's School. The alumni association rolled out programmes to mark the 90th anniversary in June 2023 and UK Branch marked the milestone in England on 30/9203.

AN INTEGRATED REMINISCES OF PAST TEACHERS AND OLD STUDENTS

By, Seye Adetunmbi

Christ’s School no doubt is a distinct phenomenon! The passion of all ranks of people who were associated with the school at one point or the other is amazingly phenomenal. Virtually everyone had/has one unique thing or the other to say about the school. Quite a number of the old students have written books on the school while virtually every product of the school who has written their memoirs dedicated a chapter or a section to Christ’s school in their book. In the latter category were Architect Fola Alade, Chief F.A. Daramola who was also a teacher, Chief S.B. Falegan, Chief Olusola Bayode and recently, Olusegun Aganga. One of the books of a prominent old student, Professor Adelola Adeloye, a renowned brain surgeon was essentially a detailed book on his school days. My humble self do have my own story to tell. My father with the school number 36/060 belonged to the 1936 set that actually started in the permanent site of the school. My older brother and younger sister also attend the school. One of my recent books is The School, a compendium on Christ’s School (1933-2023). 

    In 1969, Professor Adelola Adeloye had a memorable encounter and interview with the founder of the school, during which Archdeacon Henry Dallimore was quoted as follows: “The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti decided upon the land. As the final and head school of the area, there was no better name I could think of at the time. I chose the name but the school was opened by Bourdillon.” On the purpose of the school he said: “To lead Ekiti on to the place it should occupy in the country. There was no source of leadership then in the district and provision had to be made for it. The school was to prepare pupils for this leadership. We could not get Ekiti boys into other schools and yet they were capable.” On the chapel: “I felt it was necessary to have a central place of worship if the whole school was living in”. What pleased him most about the school: “Everybody had worked together well in the school and in relation to the community.” With respect to the role his wife played in the evolution of our school: “Well, she has always been my right hand person. She was part of a large family at home”; and why he left in 1947: “I'd been wanting to go for some time to allow a younger man to take over. On his published works on geography: “I wrote two books on geography, and taught the subject for some time in Christ's School.” Recalling his knowledge of his co-missionaries in Ekiti, he said. “Babamboni came as an evangelist and helped in organising the C.M.S. in Ekiti at the time. Those were early days. I thought that he might have had this at the back of his mind. A simple man, you know. But he had come to be able to read the bible and to know the love of God. And he wished to preach it, and he did preach it. He was an Ekiti man. That's what brought him back. Harding was the first missionary. I did not meet him. He had gone before I came. He was our first missionary, then Hargreaves came. Canon Jebb was there at the time.” 

    Mrs Dallimore also narrated how in the early days as they went for their walk one day, they came to the rocky spot where the old Principal's house now stands and she said loud and clear: “This is the place”. She narrated with delight her first meeting with Babamboni, “a very determined, grand old man who lived ahead of his time”. She recalled Babamboni's youthful enthusiasm to learn even in the twilight of his days, and told with glee how, one day, Babamboni came into a class where an English lesson was going on and said he would not leave until he knew "this new thing about subject and predicate. 

    Also, Reverend Geoffrey Gardner one of the distinguished early expatriate teachers of the school recalled as follows in his chat with another passionate alumnae of the school, Mrs Wura Ajibade. On the expatriate teachers, he said: “Most UK teachers were recruited by Overseas Appointment Bureau, on fixed term contracts, matching applicants to requests from Nigerian schools and colleges, via the Regional Education Boards of Nigeria, which provided the salaries (i.e. John Hathaway, Gordon Lewis, John Busbridge, David Puttick, Gareth Cook, etc.). Similarly, the Youth Corps of USA: Rod Marriott, Ted Robinson). A few of us were recruited by CMS (David Lewis, Physics, Anthony Foster, Chemistry, and I, History & BK)”. He underscored the power of Christ’s School bond when he was asked about his fellow expatriates and said: “Until recently many of us did keep in touch, as our rich experience of working at Christ's School created a real bond which survived for decades. Sadly many have now died, and some have aged seriously…” On his thoughts and counsel for the school, Baba Garner said: “I am shy of giving advice, as my own country has so many failings. But if you alumni can support each other in resisting corruption and bribery, and maintaining the highest professional standards, then alumni can still play a significant role in modern Nigeria - the Giant of Africa.” 

    On Canon Mason, he had this to say: “Canon Mason worked at Grade 1 College, Abraka, then UI Education Dept, before retiring to UK. In England he lived alone in a bungalow in the beautiful Cotswold Hills, then in a flat in Bath, a choice city where my wife and I helped to look after him, and many alumni and ex-staff visited him. Finally, he retired to Capel Court, a retirement home for clergy in Cheltenham, where I saw him frequently, right up to his death. His best friend was Major Vellacott, a fellow bachelor. They kept in touch with each other up to the end, and George V was the Executor to Canon Mason's will. After his funeral service in Cheltenham, it was George V who passed some mementoes from Canon Mason to my wife and myself and other friends, which are still treasured. I gave a few of his pictorial slides of CSAE to Mrs Babatola recently.” He went further to buttress the place of Christ’s School in providing scholarships to help impecunious students at some points. “The original purpose for the school in the mind of Archdeacon Dallimore was to provide education for the sons and daughters of cocoa farmers. It is not anyone's fault that the school became so good that leading citizens in the country wanted their children to go there”. He said.

    Dr Akinyemi Farounbi (58/043) in his chat with Gbenga Alaketu he reminisced thus: “I can't forget my experiences as the School Time Keeper, particularly given the fact that I was left handed. I can't forget the annual feasts of the Young Farmer's Club. Waoh. I enjoyed the school. I had great class mates like Henry Ekperigin, Sunday Okpaise, Niyi Onioriro etc I was in Bishop House now Mason House. My favourite subject was Geography. I loved music and was the DJ for annual dances of Science Society, of which I was a member. I remember the highlife band based in Ado Ekiti. I recall our monthly walk to Emmanuel Cathedral for morning service. I recall the occasional participation of students from now the Girls Section. I recall our interactions in school debates, football and sports with only Government College, Ibadan, King's College, Lagos. I think Government College, Ughelli. Christ's School related only with the best schools in Nigeria. We had no relationship with the schools in Ekiti. All of these gave us the impression that we were the best in Nigeria. I remember when Tesilimi Thunder Balogun came to coach our football teams on the pitch.I remember the annual Cross-Country Race. I remember being taught carpentry, bricklaying and farming in our lower classes to cultivate in us the value of using our hands. I recall the life around School Quadrangle. I remember singing the famous" O what an ass I am". There are too many things to remember about the school that laid the foundation for what I am. There were Olutola Ojo and Dipo Ajayi without whom I would not have attended Christ's School. I had an admission but my father was not sure he would be able to pay my fees. Dressed in their white and blue school uniform, with their caps to match, they met my father at now Araromi Ekiti. With their unique uniform, they persuaded my father to come to Christ's School. They persuaded him that the Principal was very sympathetic to poor brilliant students. My father agreed. My story changed. The rest is now history Christ's School showed through me that with good education the poor can become great. I salute you my Alma Mater”

    In the reminiscence of Professor Fehintola Mosadomi, nee Ogunjobi, she said: “What a great School to be a part of….. My academic training in Christ’s School has positively impacted my career. Without the tenacity I had inculcated from Oke Agidimo, coupled with my belief in God who works all wonders and is always there when I call on Him, I don’t think I would have been able to accomplish anything. My faith grew with the activities of the Scripture Union in Christ’s School. Monsieur Cook, our French teacher in Forms 4 and 5, was my academic anchor, who made the greatest impact on me academically. Old glory also involves students winning awards in academics, sports among others. I remember Tunde Famodu and Dr. Dayo Odunlami who won the U.S. (Boys’ Scouts) Jamboree award to go to the U.S. They made Christ’s School proud. That was glory earned for the School in the 60s. Macoooosa (Mac Iyayi) and a host of soccer players come to mind! One cannot underestimate the contributions of Archdeacon Dallimore, Canon Mason, and Chief Ogunlade, Mrs. Reed, Ms. Davies, and Rev. Gardner among others. A lot of other secondary schools envied Christ’s School back in the days. The school should get that image back.

    Segun Aganga also had this to say to Alaketu in a chat: “Christ’s School was a good ground for preparing me for future. We were in the boarding house which prepared us well for living in the community. We were involved in a disciplined regime from the moment with entered. Our teachers were strict, disciplined and accessible; we had seniors and college brothers who supported, motivated and mentored us. Our school activities were structured throughout the day to bring the best learning and morals out of us. We joined school clubs and groups that allowed for disciplined interaction with female students. Christ’s school enabled me to fall back on valuable network of useful people in life. I was a lecturer in Ọbafẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ University for about a decade and was able to get things done in the university because Christ’s School old students were everywhere there in high places and very supportive. In a particular year (probably 1987/8 session), eight of the nine professors promoted were from Christ’s school including the Deputy Vice Chancellor. Every day I enjoyed the loyalty, faithfulness, blessings and love of my wonderful Christ’s school brothers and sisters and even now that I left school forty seven years ago, I remember Christ’s School days with nostalgia and value more the import of our school prayer that God should grant that Christ’s School will be a Christian school not in name only but indeed and in truth...Indeed, Christ’s school is a home of the blessed. Christs School had a Christian foundation. It was built on morals and Christian precepts. School leadership helped to channel its running in enviable directions.”

    Dr Abiodun Adu in a bit of the history of Adu clan in Christ’s School said: “Richard my younger brother entered Christs School in 1962. He was in Bishop now Mason House. He left the School with a Grade 1. I left Christ's School in 1963, I was in Mason House. My other brothers who attended the great school were Professor Simeon Bisi Adu (popstar Sade's dad) and same set with Prof Kayode Osuntokun. Reuben Adeniyi Adu (Afro-food packaging), Rufus Bamigbola Adu belonged to the first set to do WAEC in Class 5. Their brilliant set was joined with the year 6 that included Chief Dele Falegan to sit for WAEC. Julius Olatunji Adu (Acro-Sambo, a great footballer) belonged to the 1960 set of Prof Jide Osuntokun. There is Mathew Olawumi Adu who belonged to 1964 set. UP School.”

    Christ’s School is certainly a classic paradigm of an unending captivating story and an enduring beautiful song. Up school for life!!!