FGC Sokoto: Inside one of Nigeria’s pioneer Unity Schools
For those coming to Sokoto for the first time through Gusau axis, the first point of attraction is the Federal Government College Sokoto, because of its strategic location and how its entrance is beautified with flowers and granite. The school also serves as the first bus stop, especially for interstate commercial vehicles.
The first mention of Unity school in Nigeria dates back to 1966. That year, three unity schools, or Federal Government colleges were established. Those were the colleges in Okposi (Eastern region), Sokoto (Northern region) and Warri (Midwestern region).
Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) and Federal Government Girls Colleges (FGGCs) were established to promote unity and national integration. They are the only set of secondary schools that belong to the federal government in Nigeria because secondary education, by law, is directly the responsibility of state governments. Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) once told an audience why he established FGCs in the then 12 states of the federation. He said only four unity schools existed in the country at the time he became Head of State and his decision to establish a federal unity school in each state was informed by his visit to FGC Sokoto in 1973. He said he was impressed by the sense of unity (regardless of ethnic or religious background) which he observed among the students during the visit.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have also praised the high standards of the school in 1977, during a visit where he made a remark that FGC Sokoto was the best school in Nigeria then, in terms of educational standard and unity.
A former chairman of the Old Boys Association, Sokoto State chapter, Malam Hassan Maccido, said academic activities in the school did not start until 1967 and their first set graduated in 1971.
The school started with class one and lower sixth forms. In 1971, 70 students sat for West African School Certificate and 53 for the Higher School Certificate. And in 1981, 89 students were presented for West Africa School Certificate and only 7 for Higher School Certificate, the school became purely a Secondary School as the Higher school section was phased out and transferred to Federal School of Arts and Science now Federal Science College, Sokoto.
Among the pioneer students of the school were former Chief of Defence Staff, General Victor Malu; Air Vice Marshall Oluseyi Fintiri; a former governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke; a former Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu; and a former First Lady of Nigeria, Justice Fati Abubakar.
Other old students of the school include Air Commodore Hambali Tukur (Rtd), a former National President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Abubakar Mahmoud and the Emir of Bagudu among others.
According to Daily Trust findings, the college is faced with a shortage of laboratory equipment and one of its hostels, Benue hostel, requires serious rehabilitation.
A staff of the college, who sought anonymity, told our reporter that the hostel is becoming unsuitable for students because of bad roofing which needs to be replaced.
The staff stressed the need for additional toilets in the school, particularly in students’ hostels, adding that the existing ones need to be renovated.
Although the principal of the school denied our reporter access to the hostels and other facilities in the schools, a senior student of the college said there are four hostels Other old students of the school include Air Commodore Hambali Tukur (Rtd), a former National President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Abubakar Mahmoud and the Emir of Bagudu among others for male students named - Benue, Osun, Niger and Rima.
He said that in his hostel, there are 12 bathrooms and toilets which require rehabilitation. He added that the hostel is currently under renovation, which they hope would be extended to the toilets.
“We are about 50 in our room. The school provided us with beds but we come with our mattresses,” he said.
On feeding, he said they were given either tea with bread, noodles with egg, sweet potatoes with sauce, or pap with bean cake as breakfast.
According to him, they were served white rice and stew, jollof rice with Zobo, or spaghetti with orange as lunch, while eba or tuwo with vegetable soup is usually what was given to them as dinner.
Our reporter, who was able to get into one of the classrooms, observed that each student had his own plastic chair and desk. The senior student explained that a new student is given his own chair on arrival.
One of the fascinating