Hope Wadell Training Institution

This is Hope Waddell Training Institution, a secondary school in #Calabar, founded by missionaries from the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1895. This happens to be where I had my secondary education and I'm so glad I attended this prestgious school.

Hope Waddell was named after Reverend Hope Masterton Waddell and is a historic piece of an institution, where lives were molded to positively affect nations.

The first building of the School was prefabricated by a Glasgow company and shipped to be erected in Calabar in 1894. This building still stands till today, though it needs urgent maintenance work to forestall it's collapse and loss of this piece of our history.

The motto of the school is : In Spe Gloria Dei (which means ' In hope of the Glory of God' ). The popular cheering slang for students is : Howad We!!!( And the response will be be a 'Wa!!!')

Since it's early years, the school had students from different parts of West Africa, including Ghana, Seirra Leone, Liberia, Dahomey and Fernando Po.

Sir Dr. Francis Akanu Ibiam was the first indegenous principal of the school between 1957 - 1960.

The #school is the first place where #football was played in Nigeria. Besides being one of the first and best schools this side of the Niger, it has produced great men of character and influence such as the late Nnamdi Azikiwe - Nigeria's fist #President, Eni Njoku - The First Vice Chancellor of the #University of Lagos, Eyo Ita, Rt. Hon. Orok Otu Duke and lots of others.

Hope Waddel students are known for outstanding academic performance with unequalled results in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), year after year.

The school has a very vibrant Old Boys Association called the ' Hope Waddel Old Students Association '.