Queen’s College, Lagos, one of Nigeria’s foremost girls’ secondary schools, will on Saturday, October 10, 2026, mark its 99th Founders Day, kicking off a year-long build-up to its centenary in October 2027.

The event will be low-key and held within the school, but it will open preparations for the landmark anniversary.

Established in 1927, the school has produced generations of women who have excelled in medicine, law, education, business, public service, science, technology and the arts.

The newly elected Chairperson of the Queens College Parent Teacher Association (QCPTA), Mrs. Banke Apata, said the day should be seen as the start of a collective mobilisation.

“Next year, Queen’s College will be 100 years old. That is a remarkable achievement, but it is also a responsibility. We must celebrate where the school has come from while thinking seriously about where we want it to go in the next 100 years,” she said.

Apata congratulated Queen’s College on the celebrations, describing the 99th Founders Day as an important milestone on the journey to the institution’s centenary.

Apata said the centenary should be more than a ceremony. She called on old students, parents, teachers, government, corporate organisations, philanthropists and well-wishers to help shape the school’s next chapter, adding that contributions should go beyond money to include expertise, networks and goodwill. She also stressed the need to document the contributions of generations of students, teachers and administrators.

“Every Queen has a story, and every Queen is part of the story of this great institution.”

We want old students to reconnect with the school, parents to become even more engaged, and organisations that believe in education and the development of the girl-child to kindly support,” she said.

The Director Principal, Queen’s College, Dr. Oyindamola Obabori, said the school remained committed to its tradition of academic excellence, character formation and leadership development as it approaches its centenary.

“As we approach 100 years, we are conscious of the great legacy that has been entrusted to us. Our responsibility is not only to celebrate our past but to ensure that we continue to equip our girls with the knowledge, character, resilience and leadership qualities they need to thrive in the future,” she said.

Beyond the celebrations, Apata said the PTA would stay focused on the present needs of students and teachers. Her priorities, along with her team of excos, include health, safety and wellness, quality learning, teachers’ wellbeing, partnership among parents, teachers and management, and greater transparency in PTA affairs.

“A great school is not built by buildings alone. It is built by healthy students, inspired teachers, responsible parents and a culture that values excellence, discipline, character and service,” she said.

“We want October 2027 to be more than a celebration of 100 years. We want it to be a declaration of what Queen’s College should represent for the next 100 years,” Apata said. “From this Saturday, the countdown begins.”