Mubi One Primary School, one of the oldest public primary schools in Northern Nigeria, has marked its centenary anniversary with a call for renewed investment in basic education and moral rebuilding of society, as alumni and stakeholders raised a ₦100 million education endowment fund to reposition the school.
The historic school, founded on January 4, 1926, celebrated its 100 years of existence on Monday, January 5, 2026, at its premises in Lokuwa Ward, Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, drawing prominent alumni, traditional rulers, jurists, academics and public office holders from across the country.
Delivering the keynote address, former Adamawa State Commissioner for Information, Dr Ahmad Sajoh, fnipr, warned that Nigeria’s growing insecurity, corruption and social division are direct consequences of neglect of public education, widening inequality and moral decline.
Dr Sajoh lamented the rising number of out-of-school children, describing them as a ready reservoir for insurgency, banditry and criminality, and urged leaders and well-meaning Nigerians to prioritise inclusive and quality education.
He also decried the increasing segregation between children of the rich and the poor, noting that public schools once served as common grounds where future leaders and ordinary citizens learned together, fostering social cohesion and national consciousness.
The centenary lecture further called for a shift from certificate-driven education to skills acquisition, digital literacy and character development, stressing that skills, not paper qualifications, now determine relevance in the modern world.
Earlier, presenting the history of the school, the Education Secretary of Mubi North Local Government, Alhaji Ahmed Modibbo Abbas, traced the establishment of Mubi One Primary School to the British colonial education reforms of 1926, following the defeat of German forces in Northern Cameroon and the adoption of Sir Hugh Clifford’s education ordinance.
He said the school began with junior and senior sections and has, over the decades, produced distinguished Nigerians across law, academia, traditional leadership, security services, politics and business.
Among its notable alumni are the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, former OPEC Secretary-General late Dr Sanusi Barkindo, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission Prof Abdullahi Ribadu, Director-General of the Nigerian Law School Prof Isa Chiroma, Court of Appeal Justice AbdulAziz Waziri Hassan, and former Adamawa State Governor Senator Bindow Umaru Jibrilla, among others.
The anniversary celebration also featured the launch of a one hundred million Naira endowment fund, spearheaded by Chief Launcher, Dr Abdulrahman Buba Kwacham. Funds raised are to be used for fencing the school, renovating classrooms, constructing an examination hall, providing boreholes, and establishing ICT facilities to promote digital literacy.
Chairman of the occasion, Justice AbdulAziz Waziri Hassan, JCA, described the school as a foundation for leadership and nation-building, urging alumni to sustain their commitment to preserving its legacy.
Goodwill messages were delivered on behalf of the Emir of Mubi, HRH Alhaji Abubakar Isa Ahmadu, who commended the organisers and alumni for using the centenary to focus on educational development rather than mere celebration.
The event also featured the presentation of awards and gifts to families of pioneer pupils and surviving former teachers, celebrating a century of service, resilience and impact in shaping generations of Nigerians.