Fifty years after leaving Eko Boys High School, members of the 1976 set have returned to donate a fully equipped sick bay aimed at providing first aid and improving healthcare services for students.

The donation was the highlight of the Golden Jubilee celebration, which saw members of the set reunite from across the world and converge in Lagos to mark the milestone and reaffirm their commitment to giving back to their alma mater.
Speaking at the event, the President of the 1976 set, Johnson Adegboyega Adeyoye, said the decision to donate the sick bay was driven by the need to address a critical gap in the school’s infrastructure and improve its overall standard.
He said sustained interventions by the alumni over the years had helped reposition the school as a reference point for others, noting that several initiatives had addressed infrastructural deficiencies and promoted academic excellence.

“We are making sure that we modernise the school, rebuild it and also lobby for infrastructure to make sure that the current students are well positioned, that even what we didn’t enjoy during our own time, they enjoy it, because it is not a must that people must go to private schools,” he said.
Adeyoye added: “We want to showcase the fact that if some of us went to public schools and got to where we are now, public schools can still be maintained and retain optimal position.”
He stressed that alumni associations play a vital role in complementing government efforts in education, urging alumni groups nationwide not to neglect their roots.

“My message to alumni bodies in general is never to forget their alma mater. We have become what we are today because of what those schools and the generation then impacted in us. Alumni associations can only complement what the government is able to provide but can’t replace government,” he said.
Earlier, the first President of the EKOBA 1976 set alumni, Dipo Omoyele, said the alumni, particularly the 1976 set, had over the years recorded notable achievements in support of educational development in the school.
He recalled that the alumni association, which began with five members in 1989, was built on unity, bonding and a shared commitment to mutual support and service to the school.

“During my tenure, we organised career counselling for the students so that they could know which path to follow in life, where the late Dr Tai Solarin was invited to speak to the students. We also refurbished the school’s computer room, including the donation of air conditioners, just to impact the school and, by extension, the students,” he said.
Omoyele added that the Old Boys Association of Eko Boys High School had also intervened to address shortages of teachers in key subjects such as mathematics and science by recruiting and paying teachers on a monthly basis.