•Lagos District 6 school makes statement with academic laurels
By Gabriel Dike
Certainly, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would be impressed by the outstanding academic performance of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School (BFMSSS) Ojudu, Lagos, in the last four years.
The 22-year-old secondary school in Education District 6 has continued to bag different academic awards in the district and state. The school under District 6 has continued to receive the attention of the state government and this has reflected in the students’ and teachers’ performance in public exams, awards and recognition of their teachers.
In 2003, as the governor of Lagos State, President Bola Tinubu, inaugurated the Millennium Secondary School as part of his landmark achievements in the education sector.
On Sunday, April 27, 2025, the school bagged another award. A teacher in the senior class, Mr. Akejelu Samuel, emerged the best mathematics teacher in Education District 6.
At the Teacher’s Appreciation Service held on Sunday, April 27, Akejelu was nominated in the senior category award and, out of the three schools recommended for the laurel, the BFMSSS mathematics teacher emerged the best.
Senior officials of Education District 6 were on hand to felicitate Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School, Ojodu.
The award came at a time when some critics of the school continued to describe BFMSSS as a non-performer in academics.
Akejelu’s award is the tip of the iceberg. In the last four years, students of the secondary school amassed series of awards and recognition in the district and state.
The Tutor General/Permanent Secretary of District 6, Mrs. Christiana Mojisola Yusuf was represented at the event by Director of School Curriculum, Science and Technology Division, Mr. Legbeti Paul, who charged the schools in the district to keep the tempo of increase academic excellence and also justify the state government investment on education.
Yusuf used the occasion to commend teachers and described them as the driver of excellent in students’ performance and that their work will not go unrewarded.
The Enthronement Assembly, in a letter dated April 14, 2025, to Education District 6, said the church has the mandate to activate and actualize God’s royalty in humanity, noting that, as a ministry, honour is at its core values.
The letter, signed by Kolawole Sola, said: “We believe very much in honour and in view of this, we will like to honour the teachers within our community (Ikeja) in an Appreciation Service, having recognized the great work they are doing in molding the lives of our future leaders and ambassadors.
“This Appreciation Service is one of our corporate social responsibility programmes aimed at recognizing and showing gratitude to various praiseworthy groups whose impact in our community is undeniable.”
It was a star performance at the award ceremony as the organizers shortlisted three teachers each in the junior and senior secondary school categories, with one nominee emerging the winner for the international category.
Enthronement Assembly gave N100,000 to each winner and an academic excellence award plaque. The adage of ‘teacher rewards is in heaven’ is no longer tenable, the organizers stated.
Stakeholders who attended the programme commended Enthronement Assembly and noted that such partnerships with state the government would spur teachers to be more inclined to deliver and impart knowledge to the students to excel in their academic pursuits.
BFMSSS track records
In the May/June 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), BFMSSS students recorded an impressive performance. In the school exam, the school emerged 1st position in District 6 with 98.3 percent in last year’s WASSCE.
This is the same examination that the entire state recorded 54.3 percent failure among students sponsored by the state government. The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, said out of 58,188 students, 31,597 failed.
According to the education commissioner, the implication is that only 45.7 percent of the sponsored students obtained credit passes in five subjects including English Language and General Mathematics.
Early this year, the school was listed among 1000 schools top performing by Africa Top Schools Award, BFMSSS emerged 1st position in Strap and Safe Child Foundation Inter Secondary School Children’s Day Essay competition in 2023, one of its students, Obok Victor Ikade, took 2nd position in the 2023 Annual Mathematics Olympiad in Lagos State organised by Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), was top finalist in the essay organised by Rotary Club in District 9112 for schools in Education District 6.
Other laurels won by BFMSSS include 2nd position at the 2024 Inter-school debate competition by Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, emerged winners in World Habitat organised by same ministry in 2025, bagged 1st position Children’s Day essay competition put together by System Specs, BFMSSS received award at the 2024 annual merit award and the school was equally honoured for emerging the best in 2024 WASSCE by the District 6.
Recent insinuations from some quarters that BFMSSS has not been doing well do not correspond with many awards it has bagged in the last four years under the current school management.
Investigations by Daily Sun revealed that the school is ranked among the best secondary schools in the state. In the last three years, the school has won several academic laurels.
Looking at the numerous awards by the school, some stakeholders find it difficult to understand the recent negative report about BFMSSS.
Unfortunately, this same school has made the state and district proud is battling against an alleged sexual harassment orchestrated by some people and it is suspected the current issue may have political undertone to diminish the high academic standard BFMSSS has attained in the last three years.
A concerned parent told the Daily that Sun Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School should be a pride of the state and district based on many awards won by the students and teachers.
His words: “So far, the issue of sexual harassment has never happened in the school before. May be for the omission by the principal for the current situation that was observed, even the culprit has been sacked and apprehended to face the law.
“We should not throw away the baby and the bathe water. Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School has maintained an amiable academic stand in the last four years. BFMSSS is a reference point for ready example in terms of success story to justify government huge in investment in education. The records are there to show the outstanding performance of BFMSSS in the last four years.