Activities commemorating the 90th anniversary of Igbobi College Yaba - one of Nigeria’s oldest legacy colleges, continue in London next month.
Organised by the Europe Branch of the Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA Europe), a ‘Celebration Weekend’ will run from Friday 7 October till Sunday 9 October 2022.
The key event of the weekend takes place on Saturday 8 October at Hilton London Watford, and is a “Fundraising Gala with the sole purpose of raising funds for the development of Igbobi College in general, and with a particular focus on the Education Quality Masterplan deployment and the Igbobi College Heritage Centre which will host a museum and exhibition space to highlight the history and display the work of both students and externally provided educational exhibitions.”
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Court of St James’ - Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola is the Guest Speaker at the Gala which runs from 6.30pm till midnight.
Entertaining at the Gala will be the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra. Dele is an Old Igbobian whose career began when he joined Fela’s Anikulapo-Kuti’s ‘Egypt 80’, where he played keyboards for 7 years (1979-1986).
On Friday 7 October, wives of Old Igbobians under the aegis of WICOBA will host Old Igbobians and their wives between 6.30pm and Midnight.
Saturday 8 October will see the hosting of the 90th Founders Day Business Meeting between 10.30am and 12.30pm. This will be followed by the Gala at 6.30pm
A Church Service will take place on Sunday 9 October at 10am.
ICOBA at 90
Last February, ICOBA Europe hosted the 90th Founders Day’s Service and Reception at Holy Trinity Church of England in Tottenham. The Vicar of the Church – Rev. (Dr.) Olubunmi Fagbemi, and Old Igbobian who is also a Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral, led other Officiants and guests in the service.
Igbobi College was established by the Methodist and Anglican Churches in 1932, as a follow-up to the 1926 Education Code, which was itself an attempt to revise and improve upon Lord Lugard’s Education Code of 1916. In the relative economic boom of the late 1929s, the government followed up the Education Code with the establishment of a number of colleges around Nigeria. In 1928, the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and the Wesleyan Methodist Mission cooperated in founding a Teacher Training College for women in Ibadan - the United Missionary College. Its success led to the agreement to cooperate on another venture, a secondary school for boys in Lagos to address the criticisms of existing secondary schools.
Igbobi College is still located at its original site in Yaba – a suburb of Lagos, and most of the original buildings are intact.
Igbobi College is the alma mater of many well-known Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in numerous spheres of life. Nigeria’s current Number 2 and Number 4 citizens in the nation’s Order of Precedence: Vice President – Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Speaker of the House of Representatives – Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila respectively, are ‘Old Boys’ of the College.