A Lifeline Across Continents: How a 57-Year-Old U.S. Education Foundation and a Proud Nigerian Alumnus Are Poised to Redefine Learning at St. Gregory’s College.

A Lifeline Across Continents: How a 57-Year-Old U.S. Education Foundation and a Proud Nigerian Alumnus Are Poised to Redefine Learning at St. Gregory’s College.

AYODELE ADEWALE

SPONSORED BY: H&H

For 143 years, St. Gregory’s College in Lagos, originally founded as St. Gregory’s Grammar School in 1882 and transformed into a full-fledged college in 1928 has quietly cultivated generations of leaders. Its alumni populate boardrooms, embassies, theology, scientific research institutions, financial institutions, academia, traditional institutions, public institutions, government offices across the globe et al, which is a testament to the school’s enduring influence.

On November 27, 2025, the storied Catholic institution opened a new chapter, one driven not by government policy or high profile philanthropy, but by the reach and initiative of its far-flung alumni. This emerging global network, returning to the halls of their alma mater, represents a shift on how elite African institutions are leveraging on diaspora connections to expand opportunity, broaden perspectives, and secure their legacies for the next generation.

The move signals more than nostalgia—it is a strategic effort to ensure that St. Gregory’s College remains a crucible of leadership, innovation, and international engagement in an increasingly interconnected world.
The catalyst was Architect Kwevi Quaye, a distinguished member of the Class of 1966–1970 and CEO of Diaspora Showcase, a Tucson-based cultural organization highlighting Afro-centric innovation. Quaye’s return to the leafy campus in Ikoyi carried emotional weight—yet his arrival with a special guest suggested something even bigger. At his side was Dr. John David Arnold, founder of Portable Practical Educational Preparation (PPEP), an Arizona-based foundation that has spent nearly six decades delivering educational and community development programs to millions across the United States and parts of Africa.

PPEP’s model—hands-on, community-centered and aimed at expanding opportunity—has seen success in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana. Now, the organization is exploring its first major footprint in Nigeria, and it is St. Gregory’s that may serve as the launching pad.

For Quaye, the partnership is deeply personal. “St. Gregory’s College gave me the foundation to succeed,” he said during the visit. “Returning with Dr. Arnold and exploring ways to support the College’s next generation is my way of honoring that legacy.”

The delegation met with the school’s Administrator, Rev. Fr. Ayeni, for wide-ranging discussions on the institution’s current trajectory and its ambitions for the future. Topics included teacher development, digital learning tools, student innovation programs and long-term infrastructure investment—issues that resonate across Nigeria’s broader educational landscape. The team is also scheduled to engage directly with students, connecting them to global perspectives rarely accessible at the secondary-school level.

Also present were leaders of the powerful St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association (SGCOBA):
• Wole Kudaya, President of SGCOBA
• Prince Bimbo Olashore, President of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce
• Comrade Ayodele Adewale, SGCOBA Publicity Secretary and former Executive Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government

Their involvement reflects the growing movement across Africa in which alumni networks have become de facto engines of institutional reform—mobilizing global expertise, funding and partnerships in ways governments often struggle to match.

In an interview on Star FM following the visit, Kudaya underscored the broader significance of the initiative. The partnership, he explained, is expected to widen students’ exposure to international learning, strengthen global collaboration and reaffirm the College’s reputation as a training ground for leaders. “Our alumni have the experience, resources and global perspective to give back meaningfully,” he said. “This effort with PPEP shows how Old Boys can help transform not just the College, but education in Nigeria.”

The initiative highlights a crucial shift taking place across many African institutions: the recognition that a school’s legacy is not only defined by its storied past, but by the global pathways its graduates build for future generations.

For St. Gregory’s College, those pathways are widening—connecting Lagos classrooms to international expertise and reaffirming a legacy that stretches far beyond its physical campus. If the current momentum continues, the College may soon stand as a model for how diaspora-driven engagement can help reimagine education systems across the continent.