On a sustained basis, academics, school administrators, political, religious, and traditional leaders have been strident in calling on ex-students to contribute their widow’s mite towards strengthening and developing their alma maters. 
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These calls are a result of the parlous state of schools in different parts of the country, some of which have been neglected by governments for decades.
  
Much as the calls for former students to step in and help matters are not peculiar to Nigeria, the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, recently underscored the importance of alumni associations when he stressed that they constitute a key driver of development in institutions of learning across the world, and should be accorded their pride of place.
  
Akinwumi, who made the disclosure when he received members of the University of Jos Alumni Association (UJAA), Kogi State Chapter, which paid him a courtesy stated that most prestigious universities across the world were rapidly transformed, especially in terms of physical infrastructure, through the support and contributions of their alumni who returned to give back to their alma mater.
  
Also, the Oyo State Government recently handed over the management, operation, and development of the 93-year-old Government College, Ibadan to its old boys’ association. 
  
This followed the previous investments of over N2bn since 2017 by the old boys association, and a partnership with the state’s government to rebuild the educational facility.
    
According to experts, alumni associations are educational institutions’ most loyal supporters, fundraising prospects, and immense word-of-mouth marketing “personnel” among their social and professional networks. They added that by engaging alumni, an institution can continue to benefit from their skills and experience.
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All these and many more were underscored recently when Ilesa Grammar School Old Students Association 68/72 Set rolled out the drums to celebrate 50 years of graduating from the school. 
  
The 50th Anniversary Alumni Lecture delivered by Professor Adebisi M. Balogun, entitled: “Alumni Associations And The Burden Of Development Of Secondary Education,” the former Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, regretted “the relegation of education to the background of scheme of things in Nigeria as reflected on the budgetary allocation to education when compared to other smaller nations in the continent. It is also a reflection of the Japa syndrome that has plagued Nigeria…We fail to conserve our human resources for ‘wise use’ in the country, but the government preserves its human resources for use of other countries for them to develop.”
  
Balogun himself an alumni of the school, who noted that an institution that fails to promote alumni with sterling qualities and renowned scholarship, has failed to impact positively or purposefully on the larger society.
  
In noting the role played by alumni associations, Balogun maintains that they fulfill several requirements, including the provision of funds for the pursuit of academic excellence in secondary schools; provision of infrastructural facilities such as lectures theatres, laboratories, halls of residence, roads, water, electricity, contribute effectively to capacity development and enhancement, as well as, recurrent expenditure which includes the payment of salaries and maintenance of facilities.
 
 On what members of ILEGRAM Alumni Association to help their alma mater to soar, Balogun said: “Raising funds to the school; interacting with the principal on the direction for the general and good administration of the school; coordinate the activities of the different sub-sets of alumni of the school; interact with government on issues affecting the school, and serve as an advanced platform of the school.
  
Also at the event where the renovated Jubilee Building, now Rev. J A Oni Building was commissioned to honour the former principal by the 68/72 set Balogu said: This effort is highly commendable as they take a queue from another set of alumni who have also done great and marvelous things to renovate buildings and bring up the values of infrastructure, (classroom building, hall renovation, laboratory, and health centre).
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“Great and other older alumni have renovated the only iconic building in the school. This is what all sets of alumni should be encouraged to do. It is in doing this that will activate the spirit of giving back to the school that gave so many opportunities to us to become what we are today. This is the path of honour and glory.
  
“I therefore salute and congratulate the 1968/72 set on this occasion of their 50th anniversary. The National President, Ilesa Grammar School Old Students Association, Dr. Obisesan Daramola, congratulated the 1968/72 Set on the occasion stating that the Jubilee Building is one of the two imposing structures in the school. 
  
In his remarks, he recalled that in 2017, the “then Osun State administration, during their ‘unthinking’ moments phased out Ilesa Grammar School. They were not deep enough to know that Ilesa Grammar School is not just a school, but a Legacy. For three years, from October 2017 to November 2020, the entire old school was empty of life and living. The premises remained deserted, 
unkempt, and derelict, while progressive dilapidation set in on all the structures: Empire Building, Jubilee Building, School Hall, laboratories, workshops, offices, etc. However, in November 2020, God used Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, to bring our school back to life. Since then, old students have been faced with the challenge of rehabilitating and restoring the past glorious features of the school”
  
“In all, old students have had over fifty intervention projects in the thirty months since the school was restored. The response had been massive and overwhelming. 
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“… The National Body very sincerely thanks the 1968/72 Set for bringing up the idea to honour this illustrious father of ours. Naturally, we remain grateful to the set for spending so a huge amount of money to rehabilitate this magnificent edifice. We sincerely thank you.   
  
The special guest at the anniversary celebration who recalled how being a student of ILLEGRAMMS has impacted his choice of profession recalled that his father discouraged him from being a lawyer because of the tendency for him to a secret cult, which would be at variant with his Anglican upbringing.
  
According to him, this was after his grandmother (a prophetess) foresaw him (Olanipekun) being a great man in life. This was also confirmed by Dr. Abiola Ojo (an alumnus of ILEGRAMMS) who also saw traits of a successful lawyer after gleaning the young Olanipekun’s Higher School Certificate results. 
  
He recalled further: “An old student of Ilegramms, Dr. Abiola Ojo, who later became Prof. Abiola Ojo, who was supposed to sign me off from law to social sciences saw the likelihood of me being a successful lawyer, and so refused to release me, stressing that he could not have become a lawyer if he did not attend ILEGRAMMS. 
  
Olanipekun worked with two other SANs (also old students- Muyiwa Aduroja, J.A.B. Majiyagbe to wrestle ILEGRAMMS from Aregbesola’s government.  After winning the Osun governorship battle for former Governor Gboyega Oyetola – from the Tribunal, Court of Appeal, and up to Supreme Court, Olanipekun made a Special request to Oyetola to please revert the school to its former name in accordance with the wishes of all old students of the school. And the wish was granted.
  
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee of Club 6872 of ILLEGRAMMS, Bosun Falore said that as the 50th anniversary of their passing was fast approaching, “we came together and decided to upscale our celebrations and reunion and we are here today witnessing the outcomes of that decision. Our choice of the 50th Anniversary Core Project was based on several factors, amongst which are; the grace our set had to be the first occupants of the new building built in 1971, and in which we spent our last two years of studies in the school; the memory of the solid, beautiful and spacious classrooms remained in our minds as young students while we graduated in 1972; the sadness of the state of the school’s dilapidation in general, etc.
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“So, it became obvious to us that the government and Parent-Teacher Association could not cope with their responsibilities to keep the school where we left it. Thus, we realised that our set has the moral concern to keep the building in good useable state…”
  
He appreciated the vital roles played by “respective stakeholders to ensure our achieving the goal that we set for ourselves in the regards.
The Chairman of the Project Planning Committee, Mr. Ezekiel Olasupo Shadiya, recalled that going into the world in December 1972, Ilesha Grammar School prepared us well. Therefore, giving back to the school for the benefit of the current and future students is a worthy course. 
  
He said that the set was delighted to deliver on all the initiatives that it has taken up toward preserving the name, integrity, and standards of the school. 
  
“There are many more projects to be done in the school. Our 60th Anniversary is not that far away. I pray for long life and good health for us all. Together with the National Body of ILEGSOSA and all the other sets, we shall continue with the good works to make our school a better place for the current and future students.
  
In closing, I would like to use the opportunity to appreciate Bosun Falore, for being a great advocate of giving back to our school. He first muted the idea of the 50th-anniversary celebration to me about two years ago, and since then, there was never a day we did not talk about the project and the anniversary celebration, which kept the giving back spirit going. 
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