Baptist Boys’ High School

Baptist Boys’ High School is a Baptist secondary school in Abeokuta, Ogun State, south-west Nigeria. It had a student body of 1,100 students as of the 2011–12 academic year. The student population has decreased by almost half from the peak of 2155 in 1998–1999 academic year, partly in response to a concern about overcrowded facilities. BBHS is on its permanent site, Oke-Saje. It is affiliated with the Nigerian Baptist Convention. History Baptist Boys’ High School was founded by the American International Mission Board, whose Foreign Mission Board started work in Abeokuta on August 5, 1850, with the arrival of the first missionary, Reverend Thomas Jefferson Bowen As well as preaching the gospel, the American Southern Baptist mission to Nigeria provided schools, hospitals, teacher training and theological colleges. The Nigerian Baptist Mission, an arm of its American counterpart, established three primary schools at Ago-Owu, Ago-Ijaye and Oke-saje. After rapid growth of the Owu school to about 150 students, Reverend Samuel George Pinnock was directed by the Mission to set up a post primary school to educate children from the three feeder primary schools. In 1916 Pinnock identified and chose the site, Egunya Hill, and negotiated the purchase of the land. The building of the school was delayed because of the effect of World War I on the cost of building materials. However, in early 1922 Pinnock oversaw the construction of the Principal's Quarters, which also doubled as Abeokuta Mission House; a block of five classrooms, a chapel, and a dormitory for boys. In 1922 Pinnock selected a group of advanced students from the three feeder primary schools at Ago-Owu, Ago-Ijaye and Oke-saje, and these formed the first class of the school. He opened Baptist Boys’ High School on January 23, 1923, with 75 students and four teachers (including his wife, Madora Pinnock). The opening ceremony attracted 2000 guests. The guest speaker was Professor Nathaniel Oyerinde, a teacher at the Baptist Academy, Ogbomoso, and Nigeria's first Baptist Professor.