Preserving Nigeria’s educational heritage

An evaluation of Akindeji Olorunyolemi’s The Trailblazers (1859-1959)

In a period when much of Nigeria’s historical secondary schools are fighting infrastructural decay and loss of archival records, Akindeji Olorunyolemi’s brand-new book, The Trailblazers: The Earliest Secondary Schools in Nigeria (1859-1959), shows up as both a prompt intervention and a heritage file.

This is not another list copied from the web. It is a meticulously investigated 475-page, full-colour, hardcase encyclopedia that records the facility, creators, structure personnel, structure trainees and identified alumni of the very first 116 public secondary schools in Nigeria, from the starting of CMS Grammar School, Lagos in 1859 to the schools developed on the eve of self-reliance in 1959.

The book, which brings a Foreword by Emeritus Professor F. A. Fajemirokun, previous Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos, does what couple of have actually tried: it tries to confirm founding dates, a number of which have actually been muddled by oral custom and schools that developed from main to secondary status. While the author truthfully confesses that the ranking by year of facility ought to read as his finest evaluation based upon offered proof, the large effort to go to schools, contact principals, and look at alumni photos offers the work trustworthiness.

The structure is basic yet effective. Each of the 116 schools– from home names like CMS Grammar School, Lagos, King’s College, Lagos, Barewa College, Zaria, Hope Waddell College, Calabar, Government College, Umuahia, Government College, Ibadan, Edo College, Benin (1937 ), and Igbobi College, Lagos, to less renowned however similarly historical organizations– is offered its own profile.

2 functions stick out. The listing of structure personnel and structure trainees– a goldmine for historians and Old Students’ Associations browsing for their roots. Second, the unique area committed to photos and profiles of recognized characters produced by these schools– a visual tip that these organizations jointly produced the designers of modern-day Nigeria.

Physically, the book, released by Lord Keynes Publishing Company, Akure, Ondo State, matches its aspiration. Printed in all colours on shiny art paper and bound in a hardcase, it is plainly not created for the typical trainee’s knapsack. It is a collector’s edition and recommendation product– suggested for university libraries, secondary school libraries, National Archives, Old Students’ Association secretariats, business conference rooms, and the homes of those who value heritage.

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The Trailblazers is not without restrictions, which the author himself acknowledges in the Preface. Some pictures are still being waited for from alumni bodies, and starting date debates will continue. That is the book’s strength– it is provided as a “work in development”, an invite to Old Students’ Associations to come forward with records to enhance future editions.

For alumni who frequently ask, “Where is the recorded history of my school?”, this book supplies a response. For policymakers and teachers, it is a pointer that Nigeria when demanded quality and basic throughout schools– a lesson worth reviewing.

It is an important contribution to Nigeria’s academic historiography and is worthy of a put on every severe rack.