By Adesina Wahab

Four distinguished Nigerian “Legends” are headlining a movement to restore the pride in and purpose of Nigeria’s secondary school education. Through the CHAMP High School Quiz 2025 initiative, which premiered on Saturday, July 5, 2025, these Legends are using their personal journeys to motivate current students to excel and also challenge old students to give back their resources – time, money or both to shape the next generation.

At the heart of this campaign is Gbenga Shobo, a proud alumnus of St. Gregory’s College, Lagos (1974–79). His journey in Nigeria’s financial sector traces back to the corridors and classrooms of St. Greg’s. “The values of hard work, integrity, and the strong Gregorians’ brotherhood shaped my 40-year journey in finance and my rise to Deputy MD at First Bank,” he shares. For Shobo, school was never just about academics—it was where principles were formed, lifelong friendships built, and a network of purpose-driven leaders birthed.

Dr. Oluwatoyin Sanni (Queen’s School, Ibadan, 1975–80), founder and Executive Vice-Chair of Emerging Africa Group, also traces her journey in leadership, finance, and advocacy back to the firm roots at Queen’s School Ibadan. The school’s well-equipped science laboratories gave her early exposure to Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and the lessons from Newton’s Laws and Pythagoras’ Theorem which would later influence not just her understanding of the world, but her ability to make sound, logical decisions in business.

Despite eventually studying Law at the University of Ife, her fondness for subjects like Mathematics and English Literature, shaped a unique blend of analytical and creative thinking that has defined her over four-decade career. “Queen’s School taught me how to think, create, lead—and also how to be part of a community,” she reflects. Today, as an influential voice on financial literacy, Dr. Sanni carries with her not just the knowledge from school but the values and passions ignited there.

Dotting the skyline of Ikoyi and Victoria Island, Lagos is the footprint of Chike Iroegbunam, a distinguished Architect and Realtor and Founder of Orangeline Limited. He returned from the UK to attend Igbobi College, Lagos (1976-81), and that decision shaped his life for good.

After a decade at Integrated Consultants Architects—founded by former Vice President Alex Ekwueme—Chike launched PM + CDC Associates, overseeing development projects worth over ₦500 million annually. His imprint is visible on banks, residences, telecoms, and more. “Igbobi gave me a foundation of strong values and principles—tools that helped turn my architectural dreams into reality,” he recalls. To him, his school was more than a platform for studies; it shaped his vision, leadership, and service orientation.

At the helm of Nigerian Exchange Limited in Lagos is Jude Chiemeka, the current CEO and proud alumnus of St. Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku, Delta State (1981–86). He has built a career across securities trading, asset management, and investment banking that spans more than 30 years. From launching Nigeria’s first Eurobonds and gender-focused mutual funds to creating the first West African Exchange Traded Derivatives and NGX Pension Broad Index, the equities benchmark for Pension Funds Administrators in Nigeria, Jude credits his days at St. Anthony for instilling in him a deep sense of purpose. “We were raised with a consciousness to emerge and to create — guided by the fear of God,” he says. That ethos continues to guide his leadership at the Nigerian Exchange, where he champions innovation and inclusion.

These four Legends: Gbenga Shobo, Dr. Toyin Sanni, Chike Iroegbunam and Jude Chiemeka are more than just alumni; they are torchbearers of a powerful message: that the secondary school experience shapes destinies. Their stories are living proof that the values instilled during those formative years—discipline, integrity, creativity, leadership, and community can chart a lifelong course toward excellence.

Similarly, at the heart of CHAMP is a simple but powerful belief: secondary school isn’t just a phase, it is the foundation for life. CHAMP High School Quiz 2025 (CHSQ) is a national edutainment series born out of a singular mission: to rekindle the legacy of Nigeria’s pre-independence high schools. 32 Schools entered the competition but only the top 8 schools qualified for the televised round.

For six consecutive weekends, from Saturday 5th July to Sunday 10th August, CHSQ will feature 24 SS2 students from 8 schools – CMS Grammar School, Lagos; Igbobi College, Lagos; Queen’s School, Ibadan; St. Gregory’s College, Lagos; Oriwu Model College, Ikorodu; Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo; Baptist Academy, Lagos; and Wesley College, Ibadan. They will compete in English, History, and Mathematics for a grant to augment the winning school’s science & tech equipment, a gold trophy and bragging right as Nigeria’s pre-independence High School champion.

The opening game between Queens School, Ibadan and CMS Grammar School, Lagos on Saturday, 12th July, will be followed by the clash of the “Baptists”, Olivet Baptist Oyo Vs Baptist Academy, Lagos, 6pm on Sunday, 13th July 2025.

After exciting head-to-head clashes, the best two schools will vie for honours at the finale slated for Sunday, 10th August 2025 at 6pm.

Each episode promises to deliver more than just brilliant answers—it’s a chance to reflect on the values of discipline, community, competition, and legacy that once united students across Nigeria’s iconic high schools.

CHAMP will air every Saturday and Sunday beginning July 5, 2025, 6pm on DStv Africa Magic Channel 154, and will also be streamed globally via YouTube (@TheSTEMAfrica). The show is designed not only to entertain and educate, but to awaken a deep sense of responsibility in alumni everywhere, challenging them to go beyond sentiment and become active stewards of the institutions that shaped them.

The project is produced by the award-winning team at JustMedia Productions, under the umbrella of theSTEMAfrica Initiative—a pan-African platform committed to reimagining education through STEM competition, and innovation. Known for impactful projects like Cowbellpedia, InterswitchSPAK, and The University Duel, theSTEMAfrica Initiative continues its mission with CHAMP, reminding us all that while buildings may age, the legacies we build—and rebuild—through our schools can endure for generations.