Effortswill Academy is one of the pioneering private school establishments in Ejigbo, Lagos, with an enviable history of sound academic excellence. The school started with just Effortswill Nursery and Primary School in 1988, with a few pupils and teachers, but in a very good learning environment. Effortswill is regarded as one of the few private schools in Lagos State that began with the right educational facilities and a conducive learning environment for quality education.

From its humble beginning in 1988, Effortswill Nursery and Primary School grew in leaps and bounds through sheer effort and determination, in line with its name, to maintain its tradition of academic excellence. After eleven years of existence, the school established its secondary school arm, Effortswill Academy, which, within 12 years of operation, had become a reputable secondary school in Ejigbo and its environs, renowned for high educational and moral standards. Kudos should be given to the proprietress of the school, Mrs. Bose Adeyemo, for sustaining the legacy of academic excellence bequeathed to her by her late husband and former Chairman of the school, Mr. Adelekan Adeyemo.

Explaining what Effortswill signifies or stands for, Mrs. Bose Adeyemo told Christian Benefits: “What Effortswill signifies or stands for is aptly defined in the motto of the school: ‘With Efforts and Will, you can move mountains.’ That is where the name of the school, Effortswill, is coined.” While reflecting on the strides the school has taken over the years based on its name, Mrs. Adeyemo said she was always proud of the commendable feedback she received from parents and guardians about the school’s standard.

“The feedback from parents and guardians about Effortswill Schools, whenever they compare Effortswill with other private schools and even state and federal government schools, tells us that we are doing very well,” the proprietress remarked.

The evidence of the good performance of Effortswill Schools is reflected in the brilliant results its students record in examinations such as the National Common Entrance Examination and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations. Effortswill students often come first in the Common Entrance Examination and record not less than five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in their WAEC examinations. “Our students don’t have difficulties gaining admission into higher institutions,” the proprietress disclosed.

The brilliant results recorded by the school’s students in various examinations are attributed to the school’s development programme, good teaching facilities such as laboratories and a library, an expansive sporting field with modern sports facilities for both the mental and physical development of the students, and quality teaching staff. These are complemented by the experience of the proprietress as a skilled public school teacher before she co-founded Effortswill with her late pharmacist husband.

Despite its high-standard facilities, large expanse of space and the general public perception of Effortswill Schools as a “big-man” private school, Mrs. Adeyemo disclosed that the school makes provision for children from low-income families, taking into consideration the socio-economic status of residents in the area.

Her words: “Our charges are moderate because of the status of most residents in this area. Effortswill is meant for the low- and middle-income classes and not only for the high class, considering the environment where the school is located. If Effortswill were to be in a place like Ajah or the Lekki area, you should know how expensive our charges would be.”

The Oyo State-born educationist, with about 30 years of experience as a teacher, said more about Effortswill Schools, which had recently added a boarding system to its facilities:

“Our vision is to be known and regarded as the best private school in our local government area by 2015. Our mission is to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning and equip students with functional skills to meet the educational challenges of the 21st century.

“Most parents and guardians register their children and wards with us because they believe in us more than in other schools around. On our own part, I believe we should not disappoint them,” the amiable grandmother of five children said.

Editor’s Note: This article was first published in Christian Benefits Supplement on Christian faith-based schools in Lagos in 2011.