The appeal was made during the grand finale of the school’s 80th anniversary celebration, where members of the Imade College Old Students Association (IMACOSA) highlighted their investments in the institution and called for additional government support.

Yinka Akinola, chairman of the anniversary planning committee, said the association had spent approximately ₦11m in 2026 to employ temporary teachers to supplement the school’s teaching workforce.

According to Akinola, the money could otherwise have been directed towards improving classrooms and other facilities if the government had provided sufficient teaching personnel.

He explained that the association pays the temporary teachers competitive wages to encourage them to remain committed to their duties and help prevent students from being disadvantaged by the staffing shortage.

Akinola also disclosed that IMACOSA had invested more than ₦200m in school development projects as part of its anniversary activities. About 10 projects were reportedly inaugurated, including classrooms, laboratories, accommodation facilities, three-bedroom flats and public toilets.

He singled out the association’s worldwide president, Ambassador Godson Echegile, for his contribution, saying Echegile had spent more than ₦100m on the school in 2026 alone.

Akinola noted that the projects were supported by individual alumni and different graduating sets determined to improve the school’s learning environment.

He recalled leaving Imade College in 1971, when the institution had approximately 300 students, and said its subsequent growth had placed additional pressure on facilities and staffing. He also acknowledged improvements in areas such as computer laboratories, which were not available during his time as a student.

Despite the alumni-funded improvements, he maintained that infrastructure alone could not address the school’s challenges without enough qualified teachers.

The association’s worldwide vice-president, Surveyor Felix Ajibade, said IMACOSA had engaged 29 temporary teachers, each receiving ₦70,000 monthly, to help cover teaching gaps.

Ajibade appealed to the state government to recruit more teachers and provide drivers for the school’s three vehicles. He also called for adequate security personnel to protect the school premises during the day and at night.

He urged financially capable former students to continue supporting the institution, adding that contributions did not have to be substantial to make a difference. Donations of textbooks and other learning materials, he said, could help improve the resources available to students.

Ajibade acknowledged that some younger alumni were still studying or had not yet secured employment, but encouraged those in a position to help to contribute to the school’s development.

Responding to the concerns, the Ondo State Teaching Service Commission chairman, Dr Oluwadayisi Oke, acknowledged the teacher shortage at Imade College and said the government was working to address staffing gaps through further recruitment.

Oke also pointed to the state government’s stated efforts to improve teachers’ welfare, ensure timely salary payments and support professional training and retraining, expressing hope that these measures would make teaching more attractive to young people.

The appeal comes as teacher recruitment remains an important issue for public education in Ondo State. In March 2025, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa approved the employment of 1,010 teachers for secondary schools following a recruitment exercise by the state’s Teaching Service Commission.

However, the latest concerns raised by Imade College alumni underline the importance of ensuring that recruitment and deployment meet the needs of individual schools.

The alumni association said its interventions were intended to preserve the institution’s legacy and improve conditions for current and future students, but maintained that sustained government support would be necessary to address staffing, transport and security needs.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia