• Holds Herbert Macaulay Essay Competition

The Macaulay Heritage Foundation has used an essay competition to encourage secondary school students to learn about Nigeria’s history and the legacy of nationalist Herbert Macaulay.

The competition, organised in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, attracted 80 students who were required to research and write essays on Macaulay, his contributions to Nigeria and the values associated with his life and work.

Chairman of the Foundation, Olufemi Gladstone Macaulay, said the initiative was conceived to address gaps in the teaching and understanding of Nigerian history among young people.

Speaking at the presentation of prizes to the 10 finalists in Lagos, Macaulay said the competition went beyond the students who emerged as finalists, as all 80 participants had to study the history of Herbert Macaulay before writing their essays.

He said the initiative was inspired by his discovery of gaps in young people’s knowledge of Nigeria’s history after returning from England, adding that the Foundation was established to use what he described as edutainment to make learning more engaging for children.

According to him, the Foundation plans to use music, theatre, arts, sports and other activities to encourage young people to learn about issues they may have missed in formal education.

Macaulay said Herbert Macaulay was chosen as the starting point because of his contributions to nationalism, education and the development of Lagos and Nigeria.

He said the Foundation could not leave the responsibility of addressing gaps in education to government alone, noting that the large population of school-age children made it necessary for organisations and other stakeholders to contribute to their education and development.

Macaulay said the foundation would continue to seek partnerships to expand its programmes, adding that the work required to improve education and engage young people was vast.

A family member, Femi Oladeinde, said the legacy of Herbert Macaulay remained relevant to young Nigerians, particularly his values, integrity, commitment to education and determination to challenge injustice.

Oladeinde urged young people to emulate Macaulay’s commitment to learning and hard work, saying continuous learning remained important in navigating life.

He also called for greater attention to family values, arguing that positive behaviour and discipline among young people begin from the home.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Olufemi Bamidele Paseda, who was represented by Ibironke Adebiyi, commended the foundation for using the competition to expose students to the history of Herbert Macaulay.

Paseda said history had been neglected and that the initiative provided an opportunity for students to learn about Macaulay’s contributions to education, nationalism and Nigerian development.

He urged the students to draw lessons from Macaulay’s determination and positive mindset, while encouraging them to remain focused despite challenges.

The first position in the competition was won by Chinecherem Chima of Aguda Senior Grammar School, while Zaradeen Muntari of Birrel Avenue Senior High School came second and Esther Afolaranmi of New Era Girls Secondary School emerged third.