As part of its 130th anniversary celebrations, Hope Waddell Training Institution (HWTI) has launched a ₦1 billion seed fund aimed at infrastructural development and institutional advancement.
In addition, the Old Students’ Association has commissioned a state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre designed to enhance learning opportunities for students and benefit the wider public.
The National President of the Association, Chief Efioita Ephraim, in a press conference in Calabar to kick start the 130 years anniversary with the theme," Hope Waddell at 130: A Glorious Heritage Inspiring the Future", further announced the Institution's reinstated status as a Cambridge Examination centre following the upgrade of its ICT centre by the North American branch of the Association including the Chemistry, Geography laboratories among other facilities in the School.
"Previously, we had a Cambridge Examination centre, we lost it may be as a result of poor facilities", the President stated.
Beyond its academic excellence, Hope Waddell has long been recognized as the birthplace of football, cricket, and golf in Nigeria. The Alumni Association insists that Nigeria’s first-ever organized football match was played on the institution’s grounds in Calabar, crediting Scottish missionaries, who founded the school in 1895, by introducing these sports to the country.
He used the opportunity to call on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to formally recognize HWTI’s pivotal role in Nigerian football history and revealed that NFF officials would be attending the celebratory sporting events, including a football match between historic rivals St. Patrick’s College (SPACO) and Hope Waddell Training Institution.
Sir Toni Ikpeme, Chairman, HWTI’s 130th Anniversary Committee, emphasized the institution’s role in pioneering football, cricket, and golf in Nigeria noting that the European Club, which later evolved into the Calabar Golf Club, played the country’s first cricket and golf games at HWTI.
Ikpeme further states: "Hope Waddell produced Nigeria’s first-ever football, cricket, and golf teams, a legacy that continues to shape the country’s sporting landscape".
To commemorate the milestone, the school has planned novelty football matches, as well as the commissioning of key projects funded by the Alumni Association.
With the launch of the ₦1 billion seed fund, the institution aims to sustain its legacy of excellence while modernizing its facilities for future generations. The new ICT centre, a major highlight of the anniversary celebrations, will bridge the digital divide, equipping students and the broader community with essential technological skills.
As Hope Waddell marks 130 years of academic and sporting distinction, its alumni remain committed to preserving the institution’s heritage and advancing its future.
Highlights of the press conference was the unveiling of two Mascots with the insignia, "Hope Forever."
Hannah Arikpo, Beagle News
