President of the Ekiti Parapo College Old Students Association, Mr Lanre Arogundade, has renewed calls for the Ekiti State government to formally adopt Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti, as a legacy secondary school, saying such recognition would help preserve the institution’s heritage and fast-track long overdue infrastructure renewal.
Arogundade, who was elected president of the association in November 2025, said the alumni body is determined to play its part in restoring the school to its former standard but stressed that government backing remains vital to achieving lasting change.
Speaking after a visit to the college’s 88-year-old pioneer senior prefect, Pa Francis Ogundana, Arogundade described the institution as a historic symbol of Ekiti unity and educational progress.
According to him, Ekiti Parapo College occupies a unique place in the state’s history as a school established through the collective will of Ekiti people and their early development unions.
The college, founded in 1954, was created as a memorial linked to the historic Ekiti Parapo struggle and to expand access to quality education for Ekiti sons and daughters.
He said granting the school legacy status would help attract focused government investment in infrastructure, environmental restoration and staff welfare, adding that similar calls had been made in the past to ensure the survival of the historic institution.
Arogundade said the alumni association has already outlined plans to support rehabilitation efforts in the college, particularly in rebuilding deteriorating facilities, restoring staff quarters and improving the general learning environment.
He noted that land encroachment and declining infrastructure remain major concerns. According to him, the association is prioritising perimeter fencing to protect the school’s land and ensure a secure learning space.
“We see Ekiti Parapo College as our first university because of the quality of education, facilities, teachers and the rich social and cultural life that shaped many of us,” he said, adding that the association remains committed to working with government and other stakeholders.
The alumni president also praised various graduating sets and branches of the association for ongoing interventions, including classroom and laboratory renovations, but said more coordinated action is needed to fully restore the school. He said discussions with the state government were already yielding early results, citing recent road grading and environmental clearing around the school by state engineers as signs of renewed attention.
Arogundade also renewed the association’s appeal for broader community participation in rebuilding the college, stressing that the school belongs to all Ekiti people regardless of where they attended secondary school. He recalled key moments in the institution’s history, including visits by prominent national leaders in its early years, saying such milestones underline the school’s national importance.
Arogundade said the current leadership would continue engaging the state government and other partners, expressing hope that formal recognition as a legacy school would secure the institution’s future for generations of students. He described the task ahead as collective, urging alumni, government and the wider Ekiti community to work together to rebuild what he called “a shared heritage of learning and excellence.”
