Champions Baptist Academy: A citadel of learning like no other

In t h e m i d s t o f r a u c o u s establishment of schools in N i ge r i a a n d L a go s S t a te particularly, one is sure to notice fractures; a sharp contrast between the fallen, the falling or the acceptable standard in academics at all levels. Champions Baptist Academy, a citadel of learning, an uncommon grooming ground for 

youngsters and the abode of academic excellence isn’t one of those schools with such qualities. Located in the heart of FESTAC town 

along 23 road, its beautiful towering edifice in a serene environment attests the aura of high quality of service that emits from the management and radiates brightly upon the students. 

How it all started

Champions Baptist Academy was birthed as the brain child of Rev V.  Akerele, the pioneer and presiding pastor of First Baptist Church, Festac. It was the dream he had nursed for a long time. After putting one or two structures in place, he gave breath to his will and the school officially commenced on the 12 of January 2009 with just one child named Oluwasemilogo Oluwaniyi and one teacher, Mrs Ayobami Oluwaniyi. From then on, it grew steadily to become one of the top schools in FESTAC town today with over two hundred children. Growing the school hasn’t been an easy task though b e c a u s e o f t h e c o m p e t i t i v e environment it is situated however, it has proudly achieved a number of ground-breaking successes. Now that the school is in its 9th year, its unchanging core values of spirituality, intellectuality, honesty, cleanliness and dedication to service have been chiefly instrumental to the maintenance and sustainability of the high quality of education offered from the outset.

Vision and Mission

Being a school that exalts Christ through mission-minded efforts of raising champions for the world, its vision strictly revolves around nurturing and producing future leaders 

with sound spiritual, intellectual and moral abilities to face life’s challenges as they come.

Core/Strength 

Champions Baptist Academy, like other top-notch schools, pays a lot of attention to the three domains of learning: cognitive, affective and 

psychomotor. The cognitive domain o f l e a r n i n g d we l l s o n t h e development of the mental skills of children. The affective domain dwells on growth in feelings or emotional areas like attitude while p s y c h o m o t o r a i m s a t t h e 

development of manual or physical skills. The school also pays a lot of attention to music and language (French and English--the development of a native or near native speaker accent) which have always given them a clear-cut edge over other schools in FESTAC.

Facilities 

Lyndon B. Johson says ‘We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people to walk through those doors’. As such, the management of Champions Baptist Academy takes so much delight in creating a conducive environment for teaching and 

learning. Teachers are provided with numerous 

teaching aids w h i l e t h e students get to learn with fun t h r o u g h different books k e p t o n th e shelves in the l i b r a r y a n d d i f f e r e n t m u s i c a l instruments in the music room. The computer room is also equipped tastefully to practically teach the students how to use computers.

Management-parent relationship 

The relationship between the management of the school and parents is really cordial. The Head of School, Mrs Alice Ojerinola said ‘the management is trying its best to carry parents along whenever there is a need to take a major decision. The relationship has been cordial, almost p e r f e c t . T h e y s u p p o r t some of our t o u g h d e c i s i o n s a n d w e appreciate them a lot. We are here for them, w i t h o u t them, we don’t exist. T h e y co m m e n d us and even refer their friends to us’.

Admission  process

The admission process of the school is strictly based on merit and the brain power of the new kids that are coming on board. The Head of School, Mrs Alice Ojerinola said, ‘It is not out of 

place to have one or two parents say the 

classes they want their kids to be but we 

try to convince them should their kids 

fail to meet up with the required marks. 

We are professionals and we know that 

academics isn’t always about age or class 

but performance. We make them 

understand this and why they should 

accept our own recommendations. So 

far, parents have been co-operating with 

us’.

Feedback 

Mrs Ojerinola said ‘the good reports we 

get from parents as regards the efforts of 

t h e t e a c h e r s a n d t h e s t e a d y 

improvement in the academics of their 

kids have always made us happy. In the 

last academic session, we exposed our 

year 4 pupils to external exams ( NECO 

N a t i o n a l C o m m o n E n t r a n c e 

Examination and Nav y School 

Common Entrance Exam). In fact, their 

performance was fantastic but their 

parents refused to let them go until they 

were done with year 5. Today, those who 

graduated years ago from our school are 

doing very well in their secondary 

schools. Some are abroad (Germany and 

the U.S) precisely. Some are in different 

federal government colleges. Some are 

in private schools. Our joy is that they 

are doing fine’.