Loyola Jesuit College
| Loyola Jesuit College | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
 School overview photo | |
| Location | |
 | |
Nigeria | |
| Coordinates | 4°55′37.9″N 6°58′0.76″E / 4.927194°N 6.9668778°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Private school |
| Motto | Service of God and others |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
| Patron saint(s) | Ignatius of Loyola |
| Established | 2 October 1996 |
| Founders | Society of Jesus |
| President | Ubong Attai |
| Principal | Chikere Ugwuanyi |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 600 |
| Language | English |
| Campus size | 28.5 hectares (70 acres) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Blue and white |
| Mascot | Roaring Lion |
| Alumni | Loyolans |
| Website | www |
Loyola Jesuit College is a private Catholic secondary school in Abuja, Nigeria. It was founded on 2 October 1996 by the Society of Jesus in Nigeria and was named after the founder, Ignatius of Loyola.[1]
History
[edit]In 1962, the New York Province of the Society of Jesus established a mission in Nigeria.[2] By 2005, with many Nigerians and Ghanaians joining the mission, the Province of North West Africa was established. The Jesuit priests who settled in Nigeria started the building and structures of a school in 1995;[3] the laying of foundation stone took place on 1 April and was presided by the Honorable Walter Carrington, the then United States Ambassador to Nigeria who described the site as a "field of dreams".[4] On October 1996, Loyola Jesuit College was officially opened.[5][6]
The college had 400 students for the entrance examination and selected 101 for enrollment after the examination results were out. Even in 2005, out of the 2300 candidates who took the entrance examination, 120 were accepted.[7] In a 20 November 2006 analysis by the editor of America John W. Donohue, the school enrolled about 600 boys and girls on a 70-acre hostel. He also wrote that out of 54 members of staff, one was Ghanaian and others, Nigerians.[6]
Plane crash and memorial
[edit]On December 10, 2005, a DC-9, carrying 127 passengers crashed and burned at the Port Harcourt Airport, killing over 107. Sixty were students of Loyola Jesuit College, who were traveling back to their various homes for Christmas holiday; only one student Kechi Okwuchi survived the incident. The then president of the college Peter Schineller criticised Nigeria's airline safety record, inadequate communications, lack of ambulances, and bad roads.[8] A new multi-purpose auditorium, Memorial Hall, memorializes the students who died in the crash.[6]
Legacy
[edit]According to The Punch, Loyola Jesuit College has excelled in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) since 2002 till 2005 and then 2008 with the best overall WAEC results. In 2016, it produced the best female candidate with the best overall results in the 2015 WAEC examination.[9] In a 2019 report by Vanguard, Loyola Jesuit College and Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, among others, received the year's Outstanding Award at the Africa Top Schools Award ceremony. The principal, Stanis Okoye, also won the Outstanding Principal.[10] On 25 February 2025, Loyola Jesuit College's student, Sekibo Tamundodumotein, won the 774-Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award (774 YONSPA).[11]
Administration
[edit]Presidents
[edit]| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Ryan | 1999 | 2005 | [12] |
| 2 | Peter Schineller | 2005 | 2007 | |
| 3 | John-Okoria Ibhakewanlan | 2007 | 2010 | |
| 4 | Ugo Nweke | August 2010 | December 2010 | |
| 5 | Ehi Omoragbon | 2011 | 2013 | |
| 6 | Emmanuel Ugwejeh | 2013 | 2018 | |
| 7 | Peter Chidolue | 2018 | 2024 | |
| 7 | Ubong Attai | 2024 | incumbent |
Principals
[edit]| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Kuntz | 1996 | 1999 | [13] |
| 2 | O.T. Jonah | 1999 | 2003 | |
| 3 | Marc Roselli | 2003 | 2006 | |
| 4 | John-Okorie Ibhakewanlan | 2006 | 2010 | |
| 5 | Ugo Nweke | 2010 | 2012 | |
| 6 | Joe-Stanis Okoye | 2013 | 2019 | |
| 7 | Chikere Ugwuanyi | 2019 | incumbent |
Notable alumni
[edit] | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. (June 2021) |
- Iyinoluwa Aboyeji – Andela co-founder,[14]
- Emmanuel Bez Idakula – singer, songwriter
- Kechi Okwuchi – one of the two survivors of the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash and finalist in the twelfth season of America's Got Talent
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Ogwo, Charles (28 December 2024). "Here are Nigeria's 15 most preferred secondary schools in 2024". Business Day. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 281-282
- ^ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
- ^ Schineller, Peter (May 8, 2006). "From Grief to Hope". America Magazine.
- ^ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
- ^ a b c Donohue, John W. (November 20, 2006). "Of Many Things". America Magazine.
- ^ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
- ^ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
- ^ Ojoye, Taiwo (2 December 2016). "Excitement as WAEC celebrates outstanding candidates, schools". The Punch. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Jeremiah, Urowayino (20 March 2019). "Loyola Jesuit, Grundtvig, others win top schools awards". Vanguard News. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Aluko, Iyabode Jane (25 February 2025). "15-Year-Old Student Wins 2025 Young Nigerian Scientist Award". Voice of Nigeria. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "McGinley Chair: Fr. Patrick Ryan". Fordham University.
- ^ America, the Jesuit Review (20 November 2006). "Of Many Things". America Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2015". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-06-04.