The Story of Lagos Baptist Academy As Told By The School Records

Baptist Academy, Lagos is a secondary school located in Obanikoro, Lagos, Nigeria. Baptist Academy was founded in the year 1855 at Broad Street, Lagos as a kindergarten school. It was one of the first schools established in Nigeria.

The secondary school section was established about ten year later, the school was moved from Broad Street to Ikorodu road in the fifties so as to give room for the needed expansion and to meet the growing needs of the society. The school was established in 1855 by the American Baptist Missionaries.

 

The school's history can be traced to the establishment of First Baptist Church Mission in Lagos by an African-American missionary. The mission was given a parcel of land by Oba Dosunmu and structures were soon built on the land. Educational activities started after the completion of the buildings and the expansion of missionary activities led to a gradual growth in the school's population. By 1886, the school had about 129 boys and 95 girls in the primary section and about 14 boys and 3 girls in the secondary section. Prior to 1926, American pastors of the Baptist Mission acted as principals for the school but in January 1926, Eyo Ita and E.E. Esua joined the staff and in August of the year, Ita became the headmaster.

The initial venue of the school was on Broad Street, Lagos and later moved to a new location along the Ikorodu Road, Lagos. The Primary School section remained at that location but was renamed.

Rather than close the Primary School on Broad Street, Lagos; only the secondary school moved to Ikorodu Road in Obanikoro. The Primary school remained at Broad Street and was renamed W.J David (William Joshua David) Memorial Baptist Primary School after one of the American Baptist missionaries that started the Baptist Mission in Nigeria. The Primary school remained at the Broad Street location until the late nineteen eighties when its building was pulled down in anticipation of expanding the First Baptist Church (adjacent to the school) to include a high-rise business building. All the students at W.J David were transferred to other Baptist primary schools in the area. The school is regarded as a sister school to Reagan memorial Baptist Girls' Secondary School, Sabo Yaba, Lagos.

School motto

Deo duce!!! - Which means With God as my leader!

School slogan

Up School, Up Baptacads

Baptacads Mobilization Song

We are Baptist Academy boys and we’re proud of our dear Alma Mater Where sweet fellowship we all enjoy where the spirit of Christ is taught where our captain, God, lead us along, we’ll be true to the Alma Mater always.

Up school Up Baptacads

List of principals

Some of the principals of our school include

Prof. S.M Harden. 1855

Miss Lucile Reagan. 1924 - 1937

Dr. A. Scott Patterson. 1937 - 1940

Rev. B.T Griffin 1941 - 1945

Rev. John Mills 1946 - 1951

Rev. G.Lane 1951 - 1953

Rev. Dr. J.A. Adegbite -(first African principal of the school) 1954 - 1975

Mr. Abayomi Ladipo 1976 - 1977(Old boy)

Mr. Micheal O. Alake 1977 - 1979

Rev. V.S Adenugba. 1979 - 1981

Rev. S.O.B. Oyawoye 1981 - 1982

Mr. Olakunle 1982 - 1983

Mr. Aiyelokun 1983 - 1991

Mr. C.O. Oduleye 1992 - 1994

Mr. A.C. Adesanya. 1994 - 1999

Mrs. F.O. Ojo. 1999 - 2003

Mr. H.O. Alamu 2003 - 2009

Rev. Mrs. B.A Ladoba 2009 - 2018

Dcn. Gbenga Abodunrin 2018 till date

Notable Alumni

Mobolaji Bank Anthony

K.O. Mbadiwe
Ekundayo Opaleye - Former military governor of Ondo state.

Molade Okoya-Thomas

Olabisi Onabanjo - first civilian Governor of Ogun State

Funsho Adeolu - award winning actor
Kingsley Momoh - Oga, Guguru FM

Abisogun Leigh - former vice chancellor of Lagos State University

Samuel Akintola - former teacher at Baptist Academy

Kessington Adebutu- a philanthropist. Also known as Baba Ijebu of Premier Lotto

Babatunde Kwaku Adadevoh

Horatio Agedah - Nigerian lawyer and journalist

Ahmed Yerima - notable playwright

Wahab Dosunmu - Politician and Senator

Michael Opeyemi Bamidele - Nigerian lawyer, human rights activist, member of 7th National Assembly

John Momoh - CEO of Channels TV