Offa: The coming of Reverend Smith and

Its Attendant Implication to Education

Development
By: Abdulfatai TOMORI1
(@holycomrade)

History has it that the first set of British visitors that came to most
parts of West Africa had bad experience as a result of widespread
malaria. The disease-ridden coast of the region had the most fearsome
reputation of any part of the Dark Continent. The sub-region itself at
that time was the grave yard for many explorers, ready to brave
malaria and yellow fever to trade, to preach, to rule and, if necessary,
to die for Britains interests. This was not successful because they were
fallen prey to malaria, caused by mosquito bites. This led to many
deaths of the earliest British visitors. Reason, British people were not
exposed to the abysmal living - and dying - conditions of the West
African region.

In fact, an unconfirmed report put the rate of the death of the British at
that time at 8/20 ratio, that is, between 5 and 10 of every 20 British
visitor to Lagos Colony will experience black water fever i and malaria
fever and often died within two months of their stay. The story was
similar elsewhere in Gold Coast (Ghana) where many British died of
malaria within a few months of their visit. This made the British to refer
to West African Countries as Whitemans Grave. ii Although, the
situation in East African countries such as; Tanzania, Uganda and
Kenya among others was different. Not until the years after, specifically
during World War I, when colonial medical service turned their
attention to addressing the needs of the African population and
providing preventive medical care. iii Some of the health effort of

1Tomori is a lead researcher @ Biohistocultural Research Center. He can be reached through

obiograph@gmail.com

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colonial government provided through maternal and child welfare
services.iv

At this particular period, a certain A. W. Smith, an Archdeacon, was to

visit Offa. Missionary work has been his only reason. He had earlier
send delegate from Osogbo, another settlement to the South of Offa,
so they could find the suitability for setting up a branch of Church
Missionary Society (CMS) in Offa. The town of Offa then (and until now)
was considered part of northern Nigeria. However, Archdeacon Smith
had worked in the Anglican diocese for twenty-three years and during
this years, he had traversed many towns both in the southwest and
eastern part of Nigeria, never been into the northern part.

Bishop Smith first visit to Offa was in 1905, a journey he would repeat
two years later. During his first visit, Bishop Smith came with a kind of
gospel films, a message-like film concerned with the life, death,
resurrection, and teaching of Jesus Christ. The movie was to have
positive reception or effect on the people of Offa. The show was at
open space presently occupied by a (central) Mosque, opposite Olofa
palace. In his second coming, precisely 1907, Bishop Smith (fully)
launches his evangelism mission. He also introduced school system
(western education), started with instruction classes. This was mainly
for conversion to Christianity. Five years later, 1912 precise, he
established the first primary school in the old Ilorin Province of
Northern Nigeria, St. Marks Primary School. v The rationale behind the
school became suspicious to many people especially, Muslim
adherents. Truthfully, Bishop Smiths ulterior motive is to preach the
word as prescribed in 2 Timothy 4:2. Instructively, Muslims as well as
traditional religion worshipers were hesitant to allow their children or
wards registered with the 'Smith school system.

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They thought the school would serve as a forum to convert people to
Christianity through education, despite the fact that western
education, before Smiths School system, is not all new to them. vi This
assertion might be true because Bishop Smith had earlier converted a
few of Offa indigenes to Christianity. The open outreach took place at
Abata-Ita-Erin. It was first of its kind in Offa. His preaching and
teaching continued to attract and appeal to the people, but response
was slow. He enjoyed peoples confidence and, won their trust; the
evidence was the subsequent baptism of some residents. Among the
early converts was Mr. J. O. S. Onawola of Alagures Compound. Mr.
Onawola was the first convert in Offa. Consequently, his school system
was successful in training people in evangelism and, helps him
spreading the Gospel of Jesus. In addition, the school system helped to
rise the required staffing needed in the day-to-day activities, most
importantly, interpreters and clerical officers that were highly desirous
especially, to the colonial administration.

Perhaps more important was Bishop Smiths practical love for those in
need. His care for others, with whom he had no family ties, practically
endeared him to the common people, and he developed a strong bond
of friendship with them. Among those Bishop Smith had such friendship
with was John Soleyevii who later become one of the first set of pupils to
enroll in his school. Others were J. O. S. Onawola of Alagures
Compound in Offa; Mr. Agboola, Mr. Laoye, Mr. Oyeleke, Mr. Omidele of
Rotimis Compound and Mr. Adeyanju. At the beginning, the school ran
two sessions per day; the first session started at 9. 00 a. m and lasted
till 12.00 noon while the second session commences by 2.00 pm and
runs through to 4.00 pm.viii The school system was for; to read; to write
and to calculate (3Rs i.e. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic). Bishop
Smith and his wife performed the dual functions of teacher and
evangelist. The first indigenous Teacher\Headmaster of the school was

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Mr. Emmanuel Soyode Otolorin from Abeokuta. Mr. Gabriel Bolarinwa
succeeded Mr. Otolorin; he held the office from August 1912 to 1918 as
a Teacher and Church Worker. Mr. Boboye Tokunbo assisted by Mr.
Bolarinwa in teaching during this period.

The early enrolment into the school was low; it was not until people
realize the value of western education that there was appreciable
increase in the number from 8 in 1912 to 64 in 1917. Thanks to the
unrelenting efforts of Mr. John Awotunji Oyeleke of Asalofas Compound
who would later became the first Offa to head the school as sole
administrator. Generally, girls enrolment was very low because they
were mostly useful in domestic and household chores. Thus in 1917, 59
boys and five girls enrolled for primary education at Offa. Latter years,
Offa witness more primary schools; St Cyprian Primary School in 1921
by the Catholic Mission, Ogidiri Primary School in 1924, First Baptist
Primary School and Wesley Primary School in 1932 and 1934
respectively while Iyeru Okin Primary School came in 1945. By 1933,
many Offa, mostly men, could read and write. This included both
indigenes and railway staff.

By 1943, a full-fledged secondary school was already put in place by

Offa Community pioneered by the Offa Descendant Union (ODU).
Precisely on 2nd February, 1943, Offa Grammar School ix took off from
its temporary site at Iyeru Okin African Church with Reverend R. N.
Ludlowx as the first manager of the school. Equally important to note
was the effort of Mr. A. B. Oyediran, xi the first General Secretary of
ODU, who was rendering the wealth of his intellect and experience in
the running of the school. The impacts of Pa J. B. Olafimihan, xii the first
Offa to head Offa Grammar School as Principal in 1944 cannot be over-
emphasized. He succeeded Mr. S. O. Ajayi who went to London for
further studies.

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The story of secondary school education in Offa would not be complete
without mentioning the efforts of the Anglican Mission which founded
Anglican Girls School in February 1956 with Mrs. Onasanya as the
head. In 1963, the school converted into full-fledged secondary school
and named St. Clares Anglican Girls Grammar School with Mrs.
Sanderson as its first Principal. On 20th May 1957, a Teachers College
established in memory of Late Bishop A. W Smith, Mr. T. A. Aregbesola
became the first Principal. The college was later relocated to Ilorin
years later.xiii In 1967, the ODU agreed to handover the premises of
Offa Community Girls School to the Anglican Mission. The school was
later renamed Anglican College of Commerce (and later Anglican
Comprehensive College, Offa).

By and large, Offa had gained tremendously from the western

education introduced by the Christian missionaries, through Bishop
Smith. Major impact could be seen from the schools established, in
quick succession, either by churches, European Missionaries or the
community. More evidence is the influx of people to Offa in other to
meet their western education obligations. Through this western
education, many fantastic changes came into the life of the people of
Offa. Today, Offa can boast of sons and daughters who are now
Doctors, Professors, Engineers, and Teachers among others. Offa now
becomes hub of education where people, from all over the world, come
for quality education. This inadvertently has made Offa more popular
and has put the town in strategy place among its peers.

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Notes and References

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i Black water fever is a life-threatening complication of malaria infection especially the
falciparum species
ii It was for Sierra Leone, which in 1807 had become Britains first West African colony,
that the term White Mans Grave was originally coined. It had been conceived as a
home for slaves freed after slavery was declared illegal in Britain in 1772.
iii Anon, 1937; Public Health Work in the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria during 1937
Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
iv Olikoye Ransom Kuti, Nigeria: Developing the Primary Health Care System
v As at this time, no other village or town within the vicinity of Offa had the advantage;
even the first primary school was introduced in Ilorin in 1914.
vi It was on record that there are couples of Offa indigenes who had earlier accessed
western education although most of them did not live within the town. Both Mr A. B.
Oyediran and Mr. John Awotunji Oyeleke were well educated before the establishment of
St. Marks School by Bishop Smith
viiPa Sholeye was born in February 1892 at Ido-Osun, a temporary abode for the people
of Offa during the war years when Offa people were still searching for a befitting place to
settle. He was probably the last son of his father as some of his uncles were Odelade
(later Bello) and Aliyu Asa Olokooba among others. The descendants of Pa Ojo Sholeye
were said to be originally linked to a Prince of Ikoyi-Ile and later Onpetu, both nearby
communities to Ogbomosho in present day Oyo State before their subsequent migration
to Iyeku, another village in the present Osun State as a result of chieftaincy dispute.
viii Bless to Serve: A biography of Chief J. O Soleye by Afolabi L & Tomori A. 2013.
Bookcraft. Ibadan
ix The school was adjudged as the first Community Secondary School in the whole
Northern Region of Nigeria.
x He was a foreigner from Methodist Mission of Nigeria. He was the first Manager of Offa
Grammar School
xi Pa Sholeye was born in February 1892 at Ido-Osun, a temporary abode for the people
of Offa during the war years when Offa people were still searching for a befitting place to
settle. He was probably the last son of his father as some of his uncles were Odelade
(later Bello) and Aliyu Asa Olokooba among others. The descendants of Pa Ojo Sholeye
were said to be originally linked to a Prince of Ikoyi-Ile and later Onpetu, both nearby
communities to Ogbomosho in present day Oyo State before their subsequent migration
to Iyeku, another village in the present Osun State as a result of chieftaincy dispute.
xii Late Reverend J. B. Olafimihan, he was born in 1900, after finished from St. Mark Primary
School, Offa he preceded to Saint Andrews College, Oyo between 1930-1933 for his elementary
Senior Teachers Certificate and lso Rural Science Education Centre, Moor Plantation, Ibadan for his
Grade I Teachers Certificate. He attended Diploma course in Education at the University of London
in 1951 and St. Augustines college, Centerburg, England for College Diploma Certificate in 1963.
He was ordained as Deacon in 1955. He bagged National Honour of Member of the Order of Niger
(MON) in 1966. He was Principal of Offa Grammar School between 1945 and 1949. He was the
Author of Iwe Itan Offa; other books to his credit are Book of Agriculture and Living Thing.
xiii The school can be found along Admiralty drive, beside Olaolu Hospital, Ilorin