This is truly an advert.
You can stop reading now if you are not interested in the Segun Odegbami International College and Sports Academy.
This is principally for parents interested to know about the school and to make up your mind if their son or daughter is qualified and interested to seek to be admitted into the unique and special first-of-its-kind institution in Nigeria.
The news just arrived at my desk that schools in Ogun State can now re-open from September 21, 2020.
I don’t know whether to be happy or to be afraid. The fear of the Coronavirus Pandemic still lingers, the introduction of strict safety protocols notwithstanding.
SOCA will spend one additional week, therefore, putting in place measures to be able to welcome all it’s old and new students to the safest possible environment on September 28th. 2020.
WAEC examinations in the school ended yesterday, and I am told the graduating students ‘flew’ all over the campus in celebration.
The greater news is that there was no incidence of any of the students, teachers, and other staff falling ill during the period of the exams. The general health measures put in place around the school worked like magic. The academy shall continue to maintain that level of health, environmental, and safety protocols when students return to school.
However, the long period of the pandemic and the closure of schools for over 5 months have created admission challenges for all schools, including SOCA.
Proper admissions processes for new students could not be done. So, the administrator has the mandate to take emergency measures to ensure that there is no ‘flood’ of applicants because of the small size of the school and the limited spaces available.
Once again, SOCA is a fully-residential (boarding) secondary school for boys and girls. It doubles as a sports academy, devoting equal time and attention to academics and sports.
The school has only 6 classes, one each of JS1 to SS3 with a maximum of 20 students in a class.
At full capacity, there are 80 boys and 40 girls, all living on the campus in Wasimi Orile, Ogun State.
Wasimi Orile is a small village located 26 kilometres from Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, and 54 kilometres from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The campus is 1 km off the Lagos – Sango Otta – Ewekoro Cement factory – Abèokuta Express road.
The school is an NGO, heavily subsidised to accommodate even the most indigent of students. The school’s priority is to admit students that are gifted in any one of Football. Athletics, Basketball or Tennis, and are also ready to work very hard to attain high grades in their academics.
Most students graduating from the school are encouraged to spend the next 3 or 4 years after leaving SOCA to get a higher education through scholarship schemes offered to the best of them to study in American Colleges and Universities.
There have been over 50 such successful students that have enjoyed or are still enjoying the scholarships in US colleges, with some graduating with degrees in their ‘pocket’, and moving on, secure about their future, to pursue professional careers in football.
Many other students are also supported to secure admission into sports-friendly Nigerian universities with which SOCA is seeking increasing collaboration for ease of placement of the students in the institutions.
SOCA runs Arts, Science, Commercial, and IT subjects, with photography and tourism as its main vocational subjects. Students are encouraged to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that the school organises for scholarships into American colleges.
As for extra-curricular activities, there is an integrated program promoting the Arts and Culture through Music, Drama, Dance, and Film.
The school is sited on 10 hectares of land in very serene hills in a picturesque environment that is at play with nature and dense green vegetation.
The school has started a self-sustaining food production program through newly introduced and expanding farming projects.
For sports, all the school’s facilities are on campus. African-American, legendary World-renowned Sprints coach, former world record holder, and double Olympic Gold medalist, Prof. Lee Evans, is in charge, developing a special speed and power training centre for all the students in order to enhance and accelerate their sports development.
The location of SOCA, far from the distraction and chaos of city life, makes it an ideal place to train young people to become the best they can be in academics, in sports, innovation, creativity, new technology, and as future leaders.
The school is developing its various science and technology laboratories and libraries to serve intended purposes.
That’s why with the news of resumption, everyone is excited about the return of students, particularly new students coming in to receive their own ‘baptism’ into this beautiful paradise of learning and training away from home.
There is never a dull moment in SOCA.
So, that’s it. I have performed my responsibility to the public. In the disappointment of the pandemic, there are now blessings in new opportunities to consider a new option of taking up the few places still available for their children or wards in some of the classes.
Those who are led by the ‘spirit’ to do so, should get in touch with the school’s administrator today.
Call him on +2348034901541 and make your enquiries and take the small step that could become a giant leap for your child.
These are some pictures of some of the students in their finals days these few days.
