Loyola Jesuit College

Last updated
Loyola Jesuit College
LoyolaAbujaFromJebRes.png
School overview photo
Location
Loyola Jesuit College
Abuja

Nigeria
Coordinates 4°55′37.9″N6°58′0.76″E / 4.927194°N 6.9668778°E / 4.927194; 6.9668778
Information
Type Private school
MottoService of God and others
Religious affiliation(s) Christianity
Denomination Catholicism
Patron saint(s) Ignatius of Loyola
Established2 October 1996;28 years ago (1996-10-02)
Founders Society of Jesus
PresidentUbong Attai
PrincipalChikere Ugwuanyi
Gender Co-educational
Enrollment600
Language English
Campus size28.5 hectares (70 acres)
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)Blue and white   
MascotRoaring Lion
AlumniLoyolans
Website www.loyolajesuit.org

Loyola Jesuit College is a private Catholic secondary school in Abuja, Nigeria. It was founded on 2 October 1996 by the Society of Jesus in Nigeria and was named after the founder, Ignatius of Loyola. [1]

Contents

History

In 1962, the New York Province of the Society of Jesus established a mission in Nigeria. [2] By 2005, with many Nigerians and Ghanaians joining the mission, the Province of North West Africa was established. The Jesuit priests who settled in Nigeria started the building and structures of a school in 1995; [3] the laying of foundation stone took place on 1 April and was presided by the Honorable Walter Carrington, the then United States Ambassador to Nigeria who described the site as a "field of dreams". [4] On October 1996, Loyola Jesuit College was officially opened. [5] [6]

The college had 400 students for the entrance examination and selected 101 for enrollment after the examination results were out. Even in 2005, out of the 2300 candidates who took the entrance examination, 120 were accepted. [7] In a 20 November 2006 analysis by the editor of America John W. Donohue, the school enrolled about 600 boys and girls on a 70-acre hostel. He also wrote that out of 54 members of staff, one was Ghanaian and others, Nigerians. [6]

Plane crash and memorial

On December 10, 2005, a DC-9, carrying 127 passengers crashed and burned at the Port Harcourt Airport, killing over 107. Sixty were students of Loyola Jesuit College, who were traveling back to their various homes for Christmas holiday; only one student Kechi Okwuchi survived the incident. The then president of the college Peter Schineller criticised Nigeria's airline safety record, inadequate communications, lack of ambulances, and bad roads. [8] A new multi-purpose auditorium, Memorial Hall, memorializes the students who died in the crash. [6]

Legacy

According to The Punch , Loyola Jesuit College has excelled in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) since 2002 till 2005 and then 2008 with the best overall WAEC results. In 2016, it produced the best female candidate with the best overall results in the 2015 WAEC examination. [9] In a 2019 report by Vanguard , Loyola Jesuit College and Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, among others, received the year's Outstanding Award at the Africa Top Schools Award ceremony. The principal, Stanis Okoye, also won the Outstanding Principal. [10] On 25 February 2025, Loyola Jesuit College's student, Sekibo Tamundodumotein, won the 774-Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award (774 YONSPA). [11]

Administration

Presidents

OrdinalOfficeholderTerm startTerm endNotes
1Patrick Ryan19992005 [12]
2Peter Schineller20052007
3John-Okoria Ibhakewanlan20072010
4Ugo NwekeAugust 2010December 2010
5Ehi Omoragbon20112013
6Emmanuel Ugwejeh20132018
7Peter Chidolue20182024
7Ubong Attai2024incumbent

Principals

OrdinalOfficeholderTerm startTerm endNotes
1Jim Kuntz19961999 [13]
2O.T. Jonah19992003
3Marc Roselli20032006
4John-Okorie Ibhakewanlan20062010
5Ugo Nweke20102012
6Joe-Stanis Okoye20132019
7Chikere Ugwuanyi2019incumbent

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ogwo, Charles (28 December 2024). "Here are Nigeria's 15 most preferred secondary schools in 2024". Business Day . Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 281-282
  3. ↑ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
  4. ↑ Schineller, Peter (May 8, 2006). "From Grief to Hope". America Magazine .
  5. ↑ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
  6. 1 2 3 Donohue, John W. (November 20, 2006). "Of Many Things". America Magazine .
  7. ↑ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
  8. ↑ Schroth, R. A. (2009). The American Jesuits: A History. United Kingdom: NYU Press. p. 282
  9. ↑ Ojoye, Taiwo (2 December 2016). "Excitement as WAEC celebrates outstanding candidates, schools". The Punch . Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  10. ↑ Jeremiah, Urowayino (20 March 2019). "Loyola Jesuit, Grundtvig, others win top schools awards". Vanguard News . Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  11. ↑ Aluko, Iyabode Jane (25 February 2025). "15-Year-Old Student Wins 2025 Young Nigerian Scientist Award". Voice of Nigeria . Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "McGinley Chair: Fr. Patrick Ryan". Fordham University.
  13. ↑ America, the Jesuit Review (20 November 2006). "Of Many Things". America Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  14. ↑ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2015". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  15. ↑ Haliwud (2014-08-06). "Bez Idakula: "How I Met My Wife"". Information Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  16. ↑ Abimbola, Oluwakemi (2018-12-11). "2005 plane crash: I'm doing my best to keep promise to you, says survivor Kechi". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
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