Wesley Old Girls Association (WOGA) is set for its 40th Founders Day anniversary.
Wesley Girls’ Secondary School is an educational institution established to provide the Girl-child with quality education in Nigeria.
It was founded on September 7th, 1981, and named after the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, during the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande as governor of Lagos State.
The school was formerly named Methodist Girls High School II, but later renamed Wesley Girls’ Secondary School. An octogenarian, Elder Olabisi Adebo was the pioneer principal of the school.
Wesley Girls was eventually separated into a Junior and a Senior Secondary School by Lagos State Government under Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Junior and Senior Secondary sections of the school are administered by different administrators, each headed by different school Principals. Currently, Mrs Fasuyi Olaitan and Mrs Kehinde Meroyi are the Principals of the Wesley Girls’ Junior and Senior Secondary respectively.
In 2017, old students of Wesley Girls came together to form Wesley Old Girls Association (WOGA).
The aim is to provide the necessary support to the administrators in order to raise diligent, hardworking, and dedicated students; to impart high moral standards to the students that will make the school a citadel for academic excellence.
This objective is in line with the wisdom of the founders of Wesley Girls Secondary School who conceived the school as an educational institution established to provide the Girl-child with top-notch qualitative education in Nigeria.
While unveiling the 40th founders’ day events, the President of the Association, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Benjamin Akindele mentioned that members of WOGA worldwide have supported the association through donations and selfless service at different times in order to develop the school, especially in upgrading the school infrastructure and the quality of teaching and the learning environment.
According to the President, Mrs Oluwatoyin Benjamin Akindele, the association has contributed significantly to the development of the school in different ways.
Some of the notable contributions of WOGA are as follows:
· Partnership with Chevron Nig. Ltd in 2020 to leverage on NNPC JV/Chevron Employee Voluntary Project scheme for the renovation of the school classroom complex at the cost of N5,000,000 (Five million naira only).
· Also, in order to support the physical and mental well-being of the students for a successful learning experience, a well-equipped sickbay with health officers was set up by the association.
· The Home Economics laboratory was also equipped and a teacher was employed for the subject by the association. The association believes that the girls will benefit more by having an all-around learning experience that the school is known for.
· Recognising the importance of students to excel in WAEC and NECO, a Mathematics tutor was employed by WOGA to coach the students of Senior Secondary in preparation for their examinations. This resulted in improvement in the performance of the students.
· Some of the students who dropped out of school due to social pressures were also reintegrated and supported to continue their education.
· We got a prosthetic leg worth $15000 for a student who lost her leg after an accident. She was also given a scholarship to a private school where she is about to graduate. She hopes to study accountancy at Yaba College of Technology.
The President added that the anniversary will serve as a medium to connect WOGA members worldwide together. The event will also offer the opportunity to reflect on the past, evaluate the present, and make projections for a greater future for the students and the school. She also implored Government, Corporate bodies, and Philanthropists to invest more in Girl-Child education so as to break the cycles of poverty and break the yoke of social inequality in our clime.
According to the Chairperson, Social and Planning Committee of the Anniversary, Mrs Moriam Ajoke Oyeleye, the theme of the 40th Founders’ Day Anniversary is ‘Celebrating the past, Igniting the future’ which encourages all stakeholders to get involved in activities that would elevate the educational standard of the students and improve the infrastructure for a conducive learning environment of the school.
She also added that some of the activities planned for the anniversary on September 7, 2021, include a wellness seminar being organized by the pioneer set of 1986 at the school premises on August 28, refurbishing of the Science Laboratories, and erection of a modern gate at the school entrance.
Also, a Founders Day thanksgiving service will be held at Hoares Memorial Methodist Church Sabo-Yaba, Lagos on the anniversary day by 12noon. There will also be Launching of the Anniversary Magazine on the anniversary day.
In a goodwill message, the pioneer President of WOGA & the first Head Girl of Wesley Girls Secondary School, Mrs. Funsho Oyelohunnu, stresses the need for members of the association to stay connected with one another and create a vibrant supportive structure for the school and needy members of the association. She said that WOGA will continue to collaborate with private organizations to ensure a conducive learning environment for the students of Wesley Girls Junior and Senior Secondary School.