THE SCHOOL THAT BEGAN WITH JUST 10 STUDENTS: THE STORY OF KING’S COLLEGE, LAGOS

THE SCHOOL THAT BEGAN WITH JUST 10 STUDENTS: THE STORY OF KING’S COLLEGE, LAGOS

THE SCHOOL THAT BEGAN WITH JUST 10 STUDENTS: THE STORY OF KING’S COLLEGE, LAGOS

More than a century ago, on September 20, 1909, a new school opened its doors on Lagos Island with just 10 pioneer students.

It was then known as King’s School. It would later become the famous King’s College, Lagos.

Among those early students were J.C. Vaughan, Isaac Ladipo Oluwole, Frank Macaulay, Daniel Adeniyi Onojobi, Herbert Mills from the Gold Coast, O.A. Omololu and Moses King.

One of them, Isaac Ladipo Oluwole, became the school’s first Senior Prefect. He would later become a pioneering Nigerian medical doctor and an important figure in the development of public health in Nigeria.

The school itself was no small project for coloni@l Lagos. Its original building was erected and furnished at a reported cost of £10,001. It contained a hall capable of accommodating 300 students, eight lecture rooms, a chemical laboratory and an office.

The idea behind the school was to provide young people in the c0lony with a higher level of education and prepare them for university, professional careers and service in government and commerce.

From just 10 students in 1909, King’s College would go on to become one of the most recognised schools in Nigerian history.

Imagine walking into that school in 1909.

There were no skyscrapers around Lagos Island as we know them today. No smartphones. No social media. No modern classrooms.

Just 10 young students at the beginning of what would become a remarkable institution.
And the growth was extraordinary.

By its 110th anniversary in 2019, King’s College had grown from those 10 pioneer students to about 3,600 students across two campuses in Lagos State, according to The Nation.

From 10 students to thousands — more than a century of history, generations of students and countless Nigerians who would go on to make their mark in medicine, law, politics, education, business and other fields.

The story began with just 10 boys in 1909.

How many Nigerians knew that King’s College, Lagos started with just 10 students?