Government College, Ibadan
Government College Ibadan, (founded February 28, 1929), is a boys' secondary school located on the hills of Apata Ganga in Ibadan, Nigeria.
History
The expatriate founding fathers were Selwyn McGregor Grier, who conceived the idea of setting up the school, and V. B. V. Powell, the first principal of the school. Government College was modelled on the British secondary boarding schools of the era, and the first set of students numbered 29. During the Second World War, the school temporarily moved to several sites before finally resettling back at its original site.
Curriculum
All students were required to complete a number of core courses in the Arts and Sciences. The courses were designed so that all students, no matter what their strengths were, obtained the basic skills of critical thinking, effective writing, effective oral communication, library literacy, laboratory competency, creative thinking and problem solving. The school was a Centre of Excellence for cricket and field hockey. The school also had an Officer Cadet Corps that offered instruction camps in precision field drills, adventure training and the cadets were introduced to the principles of meritocracy.
Laurels in academics
In the period before the dissolution of the Western Region, Nigeria, the school earned the enviable fame of being the best secondary school in Nigeria. It had well-resourced classrooms and laboratories. As the school grew in numbers, in reputation and in fame, its students constantly achieved high scores for exam results at O-Level and A-Level. In the decade of the sixties, over 78 distinctions were obtained by Government College students in the examinations, an unprecedented achievement in Nigeria. Suffice it to say that the school boldly summoned in the decade of the seventies by upholding its laurels, in both the academic and extracurricular fields. The school has produced over 80% of the presidents of the Nigerian Society of Engineers since its inception, and one of the four Africans in history to be awarded a Nobel Prize.
School houses
- Carr House
- Field House
- Grier House
- Powell House
- Swanston House
Prominent alumni
- Late HRH Omo N'Oba N'Edo, Erediauwa, King of Benin, Nigeria
- Late HRH Oba J. A. Andu, first Hydrophilic engineer in Nigeria
- Late Dr Akinola Aguda, first Chief Justice of Botswana
- Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, first actuary in Nigeria
- Professor Wole Soyinka, first African ]iterary Nobel Laureate
- Late Chief Adegoke Adelabu, distinguished politician
- Late Chief Ayo Rosiji, Industrialist, Former Minister of Labour.
- Late Chief Feyide, former Secretary General of (OPEC)
- Late Chief E. L. Omitola, former Asst. Inspector General of Police
- Chief Hope Harriman, Industrialist
- Hon. Dr. Christopher Kolade, Nigerian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
- Chief Olu Ibukun, former Director (UNICEF)
- Late Ambassador Leslie Harriman, Diplomat
- Ambassador Luke Osobase, Nigerian Ambassador to Romania, Bulgaria
- Maj. General (Rtd) Olufemi Olutoye, former Federal Minister
- Vice Admiral (Rtd) Michael Adelanwa, Chief of Naval Staff, Nigeria
- Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Bayo Lawal, former State Governor.
- Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo, former Governor Oyo State
- Air Commander Kola Falope, former Managing Director, Nigerian Airways
- Mr James Obi, Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Professor M.A. Bankole, pediatric surgeon
- Dr Afolabi Ogunlusi, distinguished medical doctor
- Professor Oluwasanmi, distinguished surgeon
- Prince ABIOYE Abiodun Internet Protocol Engineer at Odua Telecommunication company,Ibadan.
- Mr Seni Ogunkola, veteran copywriter
- Sir Abel Guobadia, Ambassador, former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission
- Late Professor Saburi O. Biobaku, former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos
- Late Professor Ifedayo Oladapo, University Vice-Chancellor
- Professor T. M. Aluko, eminent scholar and author
- Professor Ayo Ogunye, university professor
- Mr Deji Sogbesan, entrepreneur and social critic
- Professor Samuel Ola, Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering
- Professor Femi Osofisan, Professor of Theater Arts
- Dr M. O. E. Thompson, retired Permanent Secretary
- Dr Lekan Are, pre-eminent agronomist
- Late Dr T. S. B. Aribisala, pre-eminent agriculturalist
- Late Mr. Joshua Adeniran Olarewaju, former Permanent Secretary
- Mr Abdul Umoru, Former Pro Chancellor, Univ. of Lagos
- Late Mr Cyprian Ekwensi, distinguished author
- Mr Olumide Onakoya, Managing Director Mobil Oil Nig. Plc.
- Mr Bunmi Oni, Managing DirectorCadbury, Nig. Plc.
- Dr Adesegun Oshinyimika, Permanent Secretary
- Mr Gbolade Osibodu, Managing Director VGO, Nig. Plc.
- Mr Adewale Sangowanwa, former Vice President, African Development Bank and currently Executive Director at Globacom Nig. Ltd
- Mr Sanjo Kanmi-Jones, first Nigerian to play professional hockey in the world; Nigeria Ambassador to the London 2012 Olympic For Hockey.
- Dr Akin Olowofoyeku, university professor
- Mr Olanrewaju Bolarin, President, Majestic World of Business.
- Professor Victor Ngu, eminent physician and researcher, former Minister of Health, Republic of Cameroon
- Dr Richard Oni, orthopaedic spine surgeon
- Late Professor Raphael A. Odihirin, Professor of Biological Science, University of PortHarcourt