Annunciation Catholic College, Irrua (Founded March 25, 1955)
Annunciation Catholic College (A.C.C.), Irrua, the first secondary school in Edo Central (Esanland), was established in 1955 when the defunct Benin province was a part of former western region of Nigeria. Therefore, the history of A.C.C. Irrua is the history of post-primary education in Esanland. Its establishment opened the way for the establishment of Esan Grammar School, Uromi, Anglican Grammar School, Ekpoma and Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School, Ewohimi, within the decade 1955 to 1965.Annunciation Catholic College Irrua is therefore the father of all the secondary schools in Esanland. Most of the early products of the school were employed as teachers in schools later established in the region.
In that era, secondary schools owned by the British colonial administration were few. Therefore, the missions established more schools, to meet the educational desires of parents and their children. In 1954, Bishop Patrick Kelly, Bishop of Benin Ecclesiastical Diocese got approval to establish a secondary school in Esanland. He chose Rev. Fr. Anselm Ojefua for the new project. Fr. Ojefua had obtained graduate degrees in sociology, history, and mathematics at Cork University in Ireland and gained valuable experience in school administration at Saint Patrick’s College, Asaba.
The principal’s house, the chapel, classroom blocks, and a hostel block were built in record time. In January 1956, the school moved to the permanent site, and through extraordinary commitment and hard work, the first set of students spent just five years to complete their secondary school education. It was an unprecedented achievement by the school, because most newly founded schools, in that era, spent an additional year to prepare their students for graduation.
Fr. Ojefua ensured that everything was perfected for the educational inspectors who frequently visited the school to assess its readiness for the Cambridge School Certificate Exam. The school’s standards were so high that the first set, which started out with 30 students, ended with 13 students. The successful founding of A.C.C., and the graduation of its first set of students in 1959, made the fame of the school and its founder spread like wildfire.
The school became a top choice for parents and their children. The student population was diverse. Parents sent their children to A.C.C. from all the then Mid-West and all other regions of Nigeria. Some students also came from Cameroon, Europe, and America. Several decades after its founding, A.C.C. remains one of the most celebrated secondary schools in Nigeria.
The school is reputed for its illustrious alumni who are making their mark in the global community as physicians, dentists, pharmacists, lawyers, judges, engineers, accountants, architects, professors, scientists, legislators, public servants, business executives, and entrepreneurs.
The old boys of the school are actively involved in the revitalization of the school through the establishment of educational foundation, scholarship awards, and the direct sponsorship of infrastructural development to make A.C.C. a 21st Century center of excellence for secondary school education.