Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has warned that Nigeria is already suffering the consequences of years of neglect and underfunding of its education sector, describing many schools as “broken” and ill-equipped to shape the nation’s future.
Osinbajo spoke on Monday at the 94th Founders Day celebration of Igbobi College, Lagos, where he delivered a lecture titled “Building Generational Strength for Educational Institutions in Nigeria.” He stressed that foundational education is critical to producing ethical, disciplined, and capable leaders.
Reflecting on his secondary school years, Osinbajo recalled how strict routines such as early morning wake-up calls and enforced “lights out” helped instil discipline and leadership qualities. “The habits that sustain adults are formed in school, not improvised later in life,” he said, noting that by age 18, a child’s ethical instincts are largely established.
The former Vice President argued that nation-building begins long before public office, adding that schools play a decisive role in shaping values, integrity, and civic responsibility. He called for a collective effort to rescue the education sector, urging corporate organisations, alumni associations, and well-meaning individuals to complement government initiatives.
According to him, enduring educational institutions around the world thrive on strong endowments that preserve standards and values over generations. He noted that many such funds are driven largely by alumni contributions. “Every serious society must ask: what will outlive us?” Osinbajo said, adding that Igbobi College itself was founded on missionary endowments that subsidised quality education while nurturing moral and civic values.
Osinbajo, an alumnus of Igbobi College from 1969 to 1975, recalled his formative years at the school, where he won several honours, including the State Merit Award and the African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize. He concluded with a strong message: “Every investment in a school is an investment in the future of the country. Our early leaders were shaped by schools deliberately protected from instability.”
Meanwhile, the Igbobi College Old Boys’ Association (ICOBA) unveiled a ₦10 billion Endowment Fund aimed at revitalising the school and securing its legacy for the next 100 years. Announcing the initiative, ICOBA President, Chief Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, said the fund would support new hostels, upgraded science laboratories, and advanced learning technologies.
He assured stakeholders that the fund would be professionally managed by Chapel Hill Denham to ensure transparency and accountability. “We don’t want anyone to use the money anyhow,” he said, while urging alumni to contribute with future generations in mind.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, praised the initiative, noting that disciplined graduates help reduce social challenges and strengthen the nation’s leadership pipeline.
He added that effective management of public infrastructure depends on principled leadership, underscoring the long-term value of investing in institutions like Igbobi College.
The lecture session was chaired by Mr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, who described endowments as a shift from short-term interventions to sustainable institutional stability.
