The advent of Western education in Africa, no doubt, led to the substantial contributions made towards community development by making human capital development (educational training) a priority through the efforts of early Christian missionaries. Their selfless sacrifices promoted education and western civilization in the continent. Those efforts made by the early missionaries had other benefits of education, like training and retraining of teachers, which promoted equality (gender equality, for instance) amongst people; it also built confidence in human beings by making them better members of the society, through the educational knowledge gained; and the ultimate economic growth of the system through improved productivity for national economic development as educated folks always find ways to give back to the community.
Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) Onitsha is one such example of the importance of education in human life. It is a secondary school founded and built by the Anglican Communion/Church Missionary Society (CMS) one hundred years (100 years) ago. Lessons started in this great citadel of learning on 25th January 1925; and it clocked a hundred years exactly on Saturday the 25th day of January 2025! The Niger Mission named this boys’ secondary school after Archdeacon Thomas John Dennis, B.A. and M.A. (1869-1917), who tragically lost his life on 1st August 1917 when a German submarine torpedoed the ship, SS Karina, an African Steamship company vessel that was heading to Liverpool from Sierra Leone, a few hours from their destination; but his wife survived. This tragic incident that unfortunately ended the life of a very brilliant missionary by drowning occurred when the hostilities at the end of the First World War took their toll, while on his way to be conferred with a doctorate (honoris causa) by Oxford University. He had volunteered for missionary work in West Africa and was assigned to the Niger Mission. This great servant of God and a missionary in every sense of the word finally arrived at Onitsha after his ordination as a Priest by the Bishop of Sierra Leone in 1894 to do his life’s work among a team of missionaries. Remarkable among his works was the translation of the Holy Bible into the Igbo language (in “Union” Ibo/“Bible Nso”) from the foundations of his unique knowledge of Igbo language, at Egbu in Owerri, which was a notable achievement recorded of him, after his promotion as an archdeacon of the Upper Niger in 1905, and appointment as a diocesan secretary in 1907.
Although in the history of this cradle of secondary school education located in the Eastern region of Nigeria, which is currently celebrating one hundred years of light, widely recognised globally and an excellent landmark CMS institution in the West African sub-region, is an all boys educational institution, mention must be made that at a particular point in her educational journey of molding lives of growing very intelligent and bright youngsters, not fewer than six young girls graduated from the school. Immediately after the Nigerian civil war in 1970, these few very smart, intelligent young ladies (of which some are retired university professors) studied rare and difficult subjects like further mathematics, and successfully graduated as Dengramites (it is on record). The school is indeed a beacon of academic excellence and has monumentally groomed her products with moral uprightness that has significantly contributed to the development of the larger community by being socially responsible in all walks of life. It is just an educational legacy that has continued to illuminate and beam unquenchable light of educational excellence in the lives of growing youths that keep impacting lives in all parts of the globe.
Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) Onitsha from her performances in the past 100 years has tremendously influenced lives in all spheres of human endeavour, and impacted positively moral lifestyle through discipline imbibed in the lives of every child that has passed and are still passing through the four walls of that academic training ground. In the academia alone (buttressing this point), a few names of notable university vice chancellors (VCs) that passed through the great walls of this very distinguished citadel of learning (DMGS Onitsha) include; Prof Kenneth Onwuka Dike, who was the Senior Prefect of the school in 1936, former VC University of Ibadan, and former VC Anambra State University of Technology, now known as the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Prof Gilbert Onuaguluchi (1944 set), former VC University of Jos. Prof James O.C. Ezeilo (1948 set), former VC University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Bayero University Kano. Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi (1957 set), former Chancellor and Pro Chancellor Anambra State University now known as Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University; also former DG MAMSER and National Orientation Agency. Prof Herbert Kodilinye (1949), former VC University of Nigeria Nsukka. Prof Basil Oli (1955 set), former VC Anambra State University now Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. Prof Ilochi Okafor (1962 set), former VC Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Prof Philip Kuale (1956 set), former VC Bendel state University now Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma. Prof Greg Nwakoby (1980 set), former VC Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.
The Alumni Association of the school, DMGS Old Boys Association Worldwide (DOBA Ww) is a well structured alumni body that is located in all continents of the world; and maintains a well organised hierarchy at both the apex level and at branch or local levels. Coordinating and interacting very efficiently amongst Dengramites, while maintaining the noble ideals of the institution alongside the rich heritage and tradition of the association that are effectively coordinated all year round; as well as remaining the strong pillars that continually give back to our beloved Alma Mater, the DMGS that molded us, as we continually sing our school anthem (“Dengram we sing to you, Lux Fiat!”) and practicalize it in our daily lives.
To the glory of God, yours sincerely (Sunny Chuba Nwachukwu, PhD) is the current President-General of the alumni body (PG, DOBA Ww) at this auspicious time the school is marking her Centenary celebration (commemorating DMGS @100).
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