How Igbobi College shaped my life – Professor Yemi Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says there is a strong nexus between the kind of education students recieve in schools and what they turn out to be later in life Mr Osinbajo made the assertion while speaking at a fundraiser for Igbobi College, his alma mater, on Saturday night in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the one billion naira fundraiser, organised by Igbobi College Old Boys ‘Association (ICOBA), was part of activities lined up to mark the 90th anniversary of the school. Mr Osinbajo said the values he had imbibed till date and some of the competences he had acquired, were largely due to the impactful education he got at Igbobi College. The Vice-President said what he and other old students got was total education, that did not only place emphasis on strong academic performance but also discipline. He said the school rewarded academic achievements and excellence in sports but seriously sanctioned bad behaviour.

The school recognised excellent students as well as whipped others for bad behaviour.

Igbobi placed great value on academic, sports and literary achievements; so, you were called out on stage to receive prizes during the assembly, so you were recognised. “So if you excelled in sports, you were recognised, if you excelled in academics, you were recognised on the assembly ground. “But on the same stage, you would be seriously whipped for bad behaviour. So, reward and punishment were on the same stage”, he said. Mr Osinbajo, who passed out of the school in 1975, described Igbobi College as a leveller, saying all students, irrespective of background, were treated equally. He said the teachers at the school during his days were very helpful, adding his English teacher in his first year greatly encouraged him to better his writing skills. The Vice-President said Igbobi College had transformed lives and had contributed tremendously to Nigeria’s human capital.

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He commended the old students of the school for coming up with the idea of the fundraiser to generate funds to uplift the school. Mr Osinbajo said he had no doubt that the various interventions by the old students at Igbobi College would help improve the standard of teaching and learning in the school. Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, commended the alumni of the school for their efforts at raising standards in the college. The Speaker urged friends of the school and other Nigerians to contribute to making it a centre of academic excellence. In his remarks, Muyiwa Kinoshi, president, ICOBA, said the fundraiser was organised as part of efforts to improve infrastructure in the school and enhance teaching and learning. He said ICOBA was irrevocably committed to the the progress of the school and would continue to do its best to improve teaching and learning. Seni Adio (SAN), chairman of the fundraising committee, said the one billion naira would be spent on building a technology hub, an e-library, upgrade the dormitories among others in the school. “Apart from brick and mortar,we will spend the money on other things that wil impact positively on standard and performance at Igbobi College”, he said . Mr Adio said previous interventions by old students were already yielding results in the school with students doing very well in WAEC and other external examinations. He called on old students and other lovers of education to continue to support the school, founded by both the Anglican Church and Methodist Church, to attain greater heights. The programme attracted many business moguls and other eminent personalities. Over N200 milion of the N1billion has been realised.