He started as an Education Officer in the Colonial Service; his choice of posting was to Nigeria.
He landed Marina , Lagos, on the on the 4th September 1950.
His first posting was to the Provincial Education Office, Abeokuta, where he served under Mr. J.M.M.Osimosu.
By April 1951, he made his first appearance in Government College Ibadan, for one term on relief duties!
A major posting later came as Provincial Education Officer, Oyo, during which time he worked on the Universal Free Primary Education Policy of the Action Group Government.
In May 1959 he reported on promotion, as Principal of Government College Ibadan.
He remained in GCI, Ibadan for a near decade which was the high spot of his career and the defining period of his life.
He was renowned in GCI, amongst other things, for his drama productions in conjunction with St. Anne's School, whose Principal he later married!
DeeJay as he was fondly called moved on to Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro, Yewa North LG, Ogun as Principal from 1968-'70.
He was also to spend time as Principal at the Government Teacher Training College, Ilesha and Abusi Edumare Academy, Ijebu-Igbo.
He was founding Principal in 1973 of Federal Government College, Kano.
He was also on the teaching staff with his wife at Adesoye College Offa.
He married Christine Florence Groves, the Principal of St. Anne's School Ibadan at the time, in the Easter of 1973 in Ibadan.
They both eventually retired to the UK.
He died in Eastbourne, Sussex on 27th December 2009, and his remains were brought back to be buried next to his wife, who had predeceased him, in St. Anne’s Church cemetery Molete, Ibadan on 1st May 2010.
In all he spent over 50 years of his life in the Nigerian education system, most of it in Yoruba land.
*Sourced largely from The DJ Bullock Endowment Fund site with minor adaptation.
Christine F. Groves, more popularly known as Chris Groves, later Mrs. Bullock, came to Nigeria as a missionary educator for the Anglican Church to come and take over from the last principal of St Anne’s School, Molete, established 1869.
She was principal from 1960-1973.
It was during her tenure that the school marked its centenary in 1969.
She placed emphasis, apart from academics, on athletics, drama, music, literary pursuits etc.
So, her girls had options to excel in any or a combination of all these activities, beyond just academics.
For their lifetime of moulding the lives of young boys and girls across Nigeria but particularly in Yoruba land, we salute their memories today.
Kí Olúwa té won sí aféfé rere.
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Yoruba Sango Priest’s Costume with Leather & Mirrors, circa 1850
length: 96.5cm, width: 54.5cm (approximately.)
This splendid & well preserved tunic was worn by a Shango priest.
Sango devotion is a very important part of traditional Yoruba spiritual tradition.
The double-sided tunic is of deep-red cotton cloth over-sewn with goat-leather panels in columns of double zig-zags & yellow cotton also in zig-zags.
The top panels are of unembellished goat leather, with shoulder pads on either side.
Each shoulder has a glass mirror insert.
Traditionally, red dye was obtained from bulrush millet and green was from copper and lime juice. Red is a colour that signifies the destructive rage of Sango in his role as the thunder deity.
The tunic is trimmed with printed cotton cloth & the interior is lined with hessian.
The Olu of Warri has gone to be with his ancestors; long live the Olu.
It was announced about a month ago that the 20th Oba or Olu of Iwere Kingdom (Warri) Ogiame Ikenwoli, joined his ancestors.
It happened 5 months earlier, on 20th December, 2020.
A successor was immediately chosen in Prince Tsola Emiko, 37 year old son of Ogiame Atuwatse II, 19th Olu of Warri. He’s also nephew of the deceased Olu.
The choice was made by the kingmakers & ratified by the Ifa Oracle, in accordance with Warri tradition.
The funeral rites for the late Olu commenced on Monday 10th of May 2021. A sober and joyous occasion, led by the Olu designate.
Sober because he had to accompany the late Olu, his uncle, on his final journey to be laid to rest with his ancestors at the royal cemetery in Ijalla.
The Ife Primary Education Research Project (1970-1983).
aka
The Ife 6-Year Primary Project.
In 1970, as the Director of the Institute of Education of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), later Dean Faculty of Education, Prof. Babs Fafunwa & his team embarked on one of the most groundbreaking research projects in education for Yorubaland.
The aim of the project was to test the hypothesis that the best instructional medium for good concept formation at a very tender age is the mother tongue.
This was bolstered by the observation that “of all the continents and peoples of the world, it is only in Africa…
Eugene V. Harris was an American photographer who spent 10 years traveling the world, documenting lives in photographs. He spent time in Nigeria, visiting Lagos, Ibadan & Kano.
Here’s a selection of photos showing life in Ibadan, “not before 1948.”
Ibadan is a traditional Yoruba city; people lived in the city and worked mainly on farms in outlying villages and hunted in the forests.
Ibadan was also a large center of commerce traditionally. Petty trades as well as large commerce were common occupations.
Eugene V. Harris was an American photographer who spent ten years traveling the world, documenting the lives of people in photographs. He spent some time in Nigeria, visiting Lagos, Ibadan & Kano.
Here’s a selection depicting Lagos life “not before...”