History of Abeokuta Girls' Grammar School.

Our Background

Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School was founded in 1955 through the recommendations and efforts of prominent indigenes and the Anglican Missionaries of Abeokuta District Church Council (ADCC) under the chairmanship of Rev. Samuel Adeolu Delumo. The school had its root from a primary school founded for girls in 1921 by the same body and started with only 30 girls.

The school shared premises at Iberekodo with the primary school and Abeokuta Girls’ Secondary Modern School for few years before moving to the present and permanent site – Onikolobo in 1959, which has since hosted various girls from different backgrounds, thereby making the community to take deep interest in the school’s project and provided facilities on occasions.

Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School became a full secondary grammar school and started with one hundred and sixty-six (116) students when it moved to Onikolobo. In 1953 three Egba sons Dr. Femi Oyewole, Dr. Dotun Oyewole, and Dr. Adeyemi Ademola wrote the memorandum, which brought about the present school and the Abeokuta District Church Council under the Chairmanship of Late Venerable Archdeacon S.A. Delumo commissioned the school. It is on record that the Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedamola represented the then Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oladapo Ademola II to formally open the new school building. The ceremony was attended by about 500 guests and dignities from far and near.

The school was named Anglican Girls Grammar School but it soon metamorphosed into Abeokuta Girls' Grammar School because of the interest of the Egbas in the school. The Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School started with two blocks of four classrooms each, an administrative block for the principal, other administrative and non-teaching staff and a multi-purpose block of vocational studies such as Home Management, Clothing and Textile and Food and Nutrition.

From 1959 to 1990, A.G.G.S operated a five year secondary school programme like other Secondary Grammar Schools in Nigeria, having Form one to five, in which Form five served as the terminal class at the end of which students wrote their final examination conducted by the West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C).

In 1965, the school started its expansion programme on infrastructure. On the 21st of September 1965, Archdeacon R. A. Ashley-Demo, Chairman of the school's Board of Governors formally opened the school hostel. The school library-building project started on the 1st of November 1965 and was opened on the 11th of February 1966. Between 1966 and 1968, the Chemistry/Physics was officially opened by Oba Adesina Gbadebo II, the Alake of Egbaland. Between 1962 and 1971 the story building of 12 classrooms was constructed and commissioned for use due to increasing number of students.

From 1979 to the early 1980's, the civilian government of Chief Olabisi Onabanjo embarked on progressive educational programs, which benefited A.G.G.S a great deal. During this period, two blocks of three classrooms each and another block for Biology laboratory and introductory Technology workshop were built. From this time, A.G.G.S started experiencing bloated student population, which was not commensurate with the available infrastructures. Thus there has always been the need for more classrooms at the inception of a new academic session. This was to be followed by the really gloomy times. The return of democracy in 1999 gave the school some fresh air as construction work resumed.

Nevertheless, the school developed from a small compound of few buildings in 1955 to a large compound of several buildings having about forty classrooms, four laboratories, one workshop, one library and over 3,000 students studying in the school while the products of the school can be found in all walks of life occupying with dignity and distinction, positions of trust and responsibility contributing their quota to global life. It is our belief that A.G.G.S will continue to soar higher on the hill, neath the sky of blue, promoting education and values in human kind to the Glory of God.

It should be noted that between 1983 and 2004, a period of 21 years, A.G.G.S received little attention from the State government in terms of provision of classrooms. One block of two classrooms each were provided in 1990 and 1998 during the tenure of Navy Captain Kayode Olofinmoyin, the Military Governor and Military administrator of Ogun State respectively.

From 1991 to date and in line with the Federal Government Policy, the school

has been operating the (6-3) medial system of the 6-3-3-4 qualitative education programmes meaning that the school now divided into two segments i.e. Junior and Senior Secondary.

Students were admitted to JS one after successfully passing an entrance examination conducted by the State Government, the majority of the intakes spend their next six years of studentship and in the Senior Secondary class 3, they write the final exams conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Since 1999, they have the opportunity of writing an alternate final exams conducted by National Examination Council (NEC).

In 2004 a past governor by name Otunba Gbenga Daniel gave the school a block of four classrooms in honour of Dunni Sobukunola, the AGGS student who had the best WASC result in West Africa in 2002 thereby reducing the problem of shortage of classrooms.

Within nine years, the PTA of the school and the Old Girls’ Association national and international gave the school unquantifiable support by assisting in building infrastructures that created enabling environment for teaching and learning.

In 2005, A.G.G.S at 50 became a story for many great achievements as the school continues to promote the wishes, the dreams, the aspirations, and legacies of its founding fathers. However, the school will continue to seek for support to complete the ageless school hall and to build staff rooms that will office the six academic departments of the school.

The first principal of the school was Ms L.M. Ouwerkerk, who served from 1955 to 1962. The history of the school would not be complete without a mention of many notable teachers who had effect on the lives of the students that passed through the school. It was the work of the teachers of this period that laid the foundation on which the enviable traditions of the school now rest. Some of the earlier teachers that we remember are; Miss M. I Hughes, Rev. Lapese Ladipo, Miss E. T Makinwane, Mama Akinwunmi, E.A Johnson, Miss Y. Sule, Mrs D. Y Martins, Mrs I. E Okodu, Mrs C. A Akinode, W. Bajomo, T. Odunlami, C. R Soares, P. Olukoya, T. Prilove, Mr K Ajayi, Ms Yetunde Sule, Mr O. Osinowo, Ms Fafiolu, Mrs Yejide, Mrs C. O Adeniyi, Mrs G. A Efunkoya, Mrs. P. O Fayemi, Mr W. S Billings, Ms G. Billings, Ms Ruth Martin, Ms E. A. Maloeni, Mary Eldridge, Mr Jare Adefemi, Mr & Mrs Sharma, Mr Charles Ehinlaye, Mrs C.O Egbeyemi, Ms Fatoyinbo, Mrs Osofundiya, Mrs Kayode, Rev. Onimole, Mrs V.T. Shobo, Ms Mary Kelly, Mrs A. D Olumide, Mrs M. A. Akiniyi, Baba Akande, Chief Ogunfolaji, Baba Edubiyi, Mama G.O. Odukoya, Mrs Sobukunola, Ms Akinlawon, Mrs Toyin Makinde, Mrs Bunmi Olorode, Ms Remi Shobayo, Mrs Omolara Oketokun, Mrs Sumbola, Mrs Oluwole, Dr (Mrs) Mary Sodipo, Mrs Abimbola Onigbogi, Mrs Remi Sorunke etc. More teachers equally worth mentioning had passed through the school but it is difficult to name all here.

In September 2005, the junior school were disarticulated from the senior school; as a result of this Mrs O. M Ajogbasile was posted to the junior school as pioneer principal while the erstwhile principal of the school from the year 2001 Dr. (Mrs) O. O. Sodipo administered the senior school. Mrs Y.B. Sanusi took over from Dr. (Mrs) O.O. Sodipo as principal in 2008 and served till January 2013 when Mrs I.O Ojediran was posted to the school. In the junior school, Mrs S.O. Olowonyo took over from Mrs O.M Ajogbasile as principal in January 2013.

However, some independent bodies and organisations contributed immensely to the development of the school as partner in progress with Ogun State Government. The Ogun-Osun Development Authority drilled a solar-energy driven bore-hole in 2007 to arrest the perennial water challenge in the school since the bore-hole donated by Chief Mrs. Oluremi Olowu (an Old Student) was damaged due to erratic power supply.

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) donated mini laptop and flat screen desktop computers to the school and provided the installation and maintenance of internet facilities. The Honourable Commissioner for Education,

Science, and Technology Barrister Segun Odubela and some members of Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School Old Girls Association (AGGSOGA) Mrs Olomodosi and Mrs C.O Oketokun donated books for use by students and teachers in the library.

The Rotary Club International District 9110 and the Charter of Abeokuta Metropolitan renovated a block of three classrooms in the junior school courtesy, the AGGSOGA. Also, they distributed free exercise books to students in the school with twelve waste-baskets to the school in 2014 to mark their New Generation month.

A philanthropist, Sir Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, CON, refurbished the school library in March 2014. In 2015, the Hoffnung Foundation, a non-government organisation (NGO) donated Table Tennis equipments and Badminton kits to the school for the development of sporting activities.