ByAdelani Adewuyi
More than 180 years ago, long before Nigeria gained independence, the seeds of formal education were quietly planted in towns along the coast and deep into the hinterland. These schools, established by Christian missionaries and colonial administrators, were more than just centers of learning—they became gateways to modernity, producing the first generation of literate Nigerians who would later shape the nation’s political, cultural, and social destiny.
The story begins in Badagry, Lagos State, where in 1843 the St. Thomas Anglican Nursery and Primary School was established by missionaries. Known today as Nigeria’s very first primary school, the modest building was the country’s earliest symbol of organized education. Generations later, its weathered walls still echo the footsteps of children who were the first to recite the English alphabet and copy letters on slate boards. For visitors, a trip to Badagry is not complete without standing in this historic classroom—the birthplace of Nigeria’s educational journey.
Not long after, in the 1840s, mission schools spread into the hinterland. In Abeokuta, Ogun State, the St. Peter’s School, Ake was founded. This institution was pivotal in nurturing a literate class in Western Nigeria. Its early graduates became teachers, clergy, and local leaders who championed literacy and modernization in their communities. St. Peter’s was not just a school; it was a movement that gave birth to the idea of education as a tool for empowerment and social change.
In Northern Nigeria, the torch of learning was lit in 1860 with the founding of Holy Trinity Primary School, Lokoja. Lokoja, then Nigeria’s first colonial capital, was a melting pot of cultures and trade routes along the River Niger. The establishment of Holy Trinity symbolized the spread of education beyond the South and into the North. It was the first classroom where northern children sat side by side to learn arithmetic, literacy, and religious studies—an enduring legacy that remains standing today.
Together, these schools tell a story larger than their walls. They were the stepping stones that shaped Nigeria’s intellectual foundation, producing some of the earliest Nigerian elites, clergymen, nationalists, and professionals. They remind us that education in Nigeria did not begin with universities or secondary schools, but in humble classrooms built with the conviction that knowledge could transform societies.
Today, these schools still function, not just as educational centers, but as monuments of heritage. To walk through their doors is to step back in time—to feel the resilience of a people who embraced learning as a path to freedom and progress.
As Nigeria continues to struggle with educational challenges in the 21st century, the oldest primary schools stand as silent teachers. They remind us of a time when education was regarded not as a privilege, but as the very heartbeat of hope.
