By Adedapo Adesanya
A 400-year-old British educational institution, Charterhouse, has commissioned its first African school, currently in progress on a sprawling 70-hectare site located at Ogombo in Lekki, Lagos.
The introduction of Charterhouse Lagos marks the convergence of British independent school heritage with cutting-edge educational practices, ushering in a new era of excellence in West African education.
Charterhouse Lagos will represent a remarkable educational undertaking in the commercial capital of the country, with the planned $150 million campus expected to be fully delivered in 2028.
The school’s development will unfold gradually, with the first intake of primary school students in September 2024. On completion, the school will ultimately accommodate students from Years 1-13, ranging from 5 to 18 years old.
Speaking on this, Mr John Todd, the Founding Head of Charterhouse Lagos, expressed his excitement during the school’s launch, stating, “With the opening of Charterhouse Lagos, we are bringing a school to Nigeria with a vision to opening a new chapter in the educational story of West Africa.
“We are bringing world-class education to Nigerian and African parents inspired by Britain and delivered in Lagos. We welcome your children to unprecedented learning opportunities, supported by a world-class purpose-built campus and a first-class learning programme.”
Mr Todd further emphasized the significance of this venture, saying, “We are extremely proud to be the first Charterhouse school on the African continent, and we will ensure the very best of Charterhouse’s traditions and values are infused within our walls while drawing inspiration from the forward-thinking outlook that continues to sustain the institution’s success today.”
On his part, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said, “The establishment of Charterhouse Lagos signifies a watershed moment in the collective effort of the private and public sector of our economy in providing quality education underscoring the importance of broadening the horizon of our children and exposing them to new curricula that will further instil globally acceptable skills in them and position them to compete favourably on the world stage.”
“The collaboration between Charterhouse and the Government in bringing this institution to Lagos serves as a prime example of the power of public-private partnerships. It is through these partnerships that we can bridge the gaps and enhance the quality of education in our state.
“We are indeed very proud that Charterhouse groundbreaking in Africa is Lagos, this to us is an acknowledgement by the international community of our strident efforts in the area of education,” he said.
The Charterhouse Lagos campus will nestle on a total land area of 700,000 square metres. The facilities set for completion in July 2024 for the commencement of Phase 1 in September 2024 will include ta world-class purpose-built campus and a first-class learning programme, Science-Tech- Engineering-Arts-Mathematics (STEAM) labs,
Music, Art, and Drama studios, an aquatics centre (a 25m swimming pool and a training pool, indoor and outdoor football pitches and basketball courts, and a gymnasium.
Other features include a welcome centre, dining hall, a 257-seat lecture theatre, a medical centre, an operations centre, a central administration building, as well as teachers’ apartments.
Phase 2 and 3 of the school’s expansion plans for middle and senior school, respectively, will have boys’ and girls’ boarding houses, a 400m athletics track, a standard football pitch, a dance studio, an indoor NBA standard basketball arena, an indoor sports centre, an 800-seat performing arts theatre, a 3-storey library, and covered sports areas.
Adding to the development, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Johnny Baxter said, “Their goal is to be global in their outlook and local in their focus, by blending the best of contemporary educational thinking with the finest traditions in British independent schooling.
“Charterhouse Lagos is bringing not just the brand but the same standard of education you will get from a British school in the UK immersed in the Nigerian culture thereby giving their students the best of British education in a multicultural environment.”
Dipo Olowookere