From modern learning facilities and refurbished laboratories to sports infrastructure and improved accommodation, the Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association is turning its shared heritage into investments for future generations. At its annual reunion in Ibadan, the association recently inaugurated several legacy projects, reaffirming its commitment to the development of its alma mater. Victoria Ojiako writes
For generations of students who passed through Government College, Ibadan, the institution represents more than a place of learning. It is a shared heritage shaped by discipline, tradition and friendships that have endured beyond the classroom. For its old boys, preserving that heritage increasingly means investing in the facilities and opportunities available to those who follow them.
This commitment took centre stage on Saturday as the Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM), reunion luncheon and commissioning of legacy projects at the school, bringing together alumni across generations to celebrate their connection to the institution and demonstrate their contributions to its development.
The projects inaugurated by the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, reflected the association’s approach to sustaining the school’s legacy through investments in education, sports, accommodation, technology and other essential facilities.
Among the projects were a 270-capacity Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre for technical education executed by the 1976 Set; the GCI Green Renaissance Project, which includes improvements to the Agricultural Department and laboratory; a hockey pitch and pavilion donated by the Babalakin family; and a tennis and practice court provided by the 1986 Set.
Other facilities included the Jude Bademosi Cricket Oval, Imoyosi House, an expanded Lakeland Area Hall, a new dormitory and the Vice Principal’s Lodge, a project of the 1966 Set facilitated by the Imoyo family through Tunde Imoyo.
The school also benefited from a refurbished National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) lodge, a campus-wide Wi-Fi network, a command and control centre, refurbished chemistry and physics laboratories, and a five-a-side football pitch.
Together, the projects highlighted the range of needs alumni have sought to address, from improving teaching and learning facilities to expanding sporting opportunities and strengthening the school’s infrastructure.
Giving Back Beyond Reunion
For GCIOBA President, Dr. Wale Babalakin, the annual gathering represents more than an opportunity for old schoolmates to reconnect. It is also a reminder of their collective responsibility to the institution that helped shape their lives.
Speaking at the reunion luncheon, Babalakin said the gathering reaffirmed the bond among members and their shared obligation to give back to their alma mater.
He also highlighted the partnership between the association and the Oyo State Government, which has enabled the old boys to improve infrastructure, support learning and preserve the school’s traditions for future generations.
Babalakin was re-elected president at the AGM, where the association reviewed its activities and achievements over the past year, including interventions aimed at improving the school’s facilities.
His involvement in the projects was also reflected in the hockey pitch, the expansion of Lakeland Area Hall and the construction of a new dormitory undertaken in honour of the 1971 Set.
The range of interventions demonstrates how alumni contributions can extend beyond individual donations to address several aspects of a school’s development. While technology and laboratory facilities support academic work, sports infrastructure and accommodation contribute to the wider experience of students living and learning on campus.
The inauguration also provided an opportunity to recognise the contributions of different generations of old boys, with the 1966, 1976 and 1986 sets receiving special recognition during the luncheon in celebration of their milestone anniversaries.
Preserving a Tradition of Independent Thinking
The reunion activities followed GCIOBA’s 2026 Annual Reunion Public Lecture, held earlier in the week in Lagos, where playwright and Professor of Theatre Arts, Femi Osofisan, challenged Nigerians to examine the character of those entrusted with public power.
Posing the question, “What kind of people are we?”, Osofisan argued that the country’s difficulties could not be understood solely through its political systems, but also through the people who operate them.
He advocated collective action to confront injustice, emphasising the importance of working alongside affected communities rather than attempting to bring about change on their behalf.
His intervention placed questions of personal responsibility and civic engagement at the centre of the discussion, themes that resonated with the association’s emphasis on collective responsibility to its alma mater.
Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, who attended the lecture as Guest of Honour, urged the old boys to preserve Government College Ibadan’s tradition of independent thinking and pushing boundaries.
The lecture also provided an opportunity to recognise old boys whose contributions have shaped Nigeria’s cultural and intellectual life. Those recognised for their contributions to the arts included Timothy Aluko, Ben Enwonwu, Cyprian Ekwensi, Christopher Kolade, Dapo Adelugba, Rowland Abiodun, Bode Sowande and Bisade Ologunde, popularly known as Lagbaja.
Their recognition underscored another dimension of the school’s legacy: the achievements of its former students in fields extending beyond formal education and professional careers.
A Legacy Measured in Opportunities
The projects inaugurated at Government College Ibadan represent a practical expression of the association’s commitment to sustaining that legacy. By investing in computer-based testing, laboratories, sports facilities, accommodation and campus technology, the old boys are contributing to the environment in which current and future students will pursue their education.
The CBT Centre, in particular, adds to the school’s technical education facilities, while the refurbished science laboratories provide improved infrastructure for practical learning. The campus-wide Wi-Fi network and command and control centre further broaden the range of facilities available to the institution.
Sports investments, including the cricket oval, hockey pitch and pavilion, tennis court and five-a-side football pitch, also form part of the development programme, alongside accommodation projects such as Imoyosi House, the new dormitory and the refurbished NYSC lodge.
The projects reflect contributions from different graduating sets and families, illustrating how alumni engagement can bring together resources and initiatives across generations.
The partnership with the Oyo State Government, as highlighted by Babalakin, remains an important part of this effort, linking the association’s contributions with the broader responsibility for the school’s development.
For the old boys, the reunion was therefore both a celebration of shared experiences and an opportunity to renew their commitment to the institution. The AGM provided a platform to review the association’s work and elect its leadership, while the luncheon brought members together to celebrate their common heritage and acknowledge the contributions of successive generations.
The public lecture, meanwhile, extended the reunion’s focus beyond the school, raising questions about leadership, responsibility, injustice and the importance of independent thought.
Taken together, the activities placed the preservation of Government College Ibadan’s heritage alongside the need to keep the institution equipped for the demands of contemporary education.
The enduring test of the association’s efforts will be the opportunities these investments create for students who will pass through the school in the years ahead.
Through its legacy projects and partnership with the state government, GCIOBA is seeking to ensure that the institution’s traditions are sustained not only in the memories of its old boys, but also in the facilities and learning environment available to future generations.