Our School

Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti was founded on 7th February, 1955. It is one of the three oldest schools in Ekiti State: Christ School, Ado–Ekiti; Ekiti Parapo College, Ido Ekiti and Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti. One of the major aims of the founder was to raise the future generation who will be Leaders of tomorrow and to develop and promote education in Ekiti for the future generations.

The name of the school, Doherty, was the marital name of an Ijero Philanthropist and a Christian Evangelist who was married to a rich man Doherty, and whose children helped provide the initial fund for the take-off of Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti. The Ijero-friendly society conceived the idea of establishing a college in 1940. However, the Ekiti National Association in cooperation with the Ekiti Council of Obas held a meeting at Aramoko in 1953 and chose Ido Ekiti as the place for the college contrary to the former agreement that the college will be sited at Ijero.

However, the Ijero team under the leadership of chief R.F. Omotade, the Obanla of Ijero left the Aramoko meeting in annoyance and summoned the Ijero people for another meeting. They objected to a move to start Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti. Chief Fagbeyiro, the founding principal returned to Nigeria in 1953 and he was mandated to start the college.

Four-storey buildings were put in place, a block of four classrooms, a central office, a storey as the dormitory with a kitchen attached to it and a bungalow as the principal’s house on this present site.

The first entrance examination was conducted and thirty students were admitted. Twenty – five (25) boys resumed out of the thirty – two (32) boys admitted by Chief Fagbeyiro, the founding principal on the first day of resumption (7-2-55).

Mr. J.B.C. Adetola from Imade College, Owo became the house master with Olayinka Ojo, during this time he was admitted at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa for a fracture he sustained.

The first grant of five hundred and ten pounds (£510) was received with joy on the 10th of June 1955 and the first Board of Governors meeting was held on the 11th of June 1955 with the following members: – Chief R.F. Omotade, then Obanla of Ijero Kingdom. The Rev. and Hon. J. Ade Ajayi, Messrs. T.D. Amoo, T.A. Ajayi; The Olukoro of Ikoro, Mr. Akinyemi and Mr. G. Olu Fagbeyiro, the Pioneer Principal of the College. Chief Omotade was elected as the chairman of the Board. The school got another grant of one thousand six hundred pounds (£1,600) as the first grant for building a dormitory of three (3) rooms.

In February 1956, eight (8) boys of Doherty students were chosen to meet with the Queen of England on her visit to Nigeria.

In 1959, only eight (8) teaching staff and clerks (non–teaching) were on the staff list and the first female teacher was Miss Dola Oyewusi who was dismissed thereafter on an allegation of professional misconduct.

The first school certificate was fifteen (15) boys with three of them given weak promotion to form five.
In 1960, the school got three (3) graduate teachers on the staff list: – Messrs. G. Adejuwon (from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone and R.C. Adu of University College Ibadan (U.C.I.). some years later the school sponsored Emmanuel Omoniyi at the College of Arts, Ibadan to study English and Latin, History and Geography.

On the 1st of April 1966, Mr A. A. Akinde was appointed as a member of staff who was formerly at Ijebu-Ijesa to teach History, Bookkeeping and Latin.

Many members of staff (Graduates) that same year resigned due to the poor condition of service including unfurnished accommodation when compared to their expatriate colleagues.

On the 1st of November 1966, the then military Governor, Robert Adeyinka Adebayo paid a courtesy visit to the school to access the infrastructure and the progress of the College.

Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti was approved as a co-educational school on the 8th of January 1967 by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Ibadan, Western Nigeria.

On the 30th of January 1967, the first set of girls were admitted into the school and resumed on the 10th of February, 1967.

Also, in 1966, two outstanding students – Babayemi Olufarati and Alegbeleye F. were in the class Division One while some were in Division Two and others were in Division Three.

On the 16th of September, 1968, Mr. Gabriel F. Alabi became the Acting Principal of the school. On the 2nd of February 1973, Mr I.A. Adedoyin assumed office as the principal to replace the outgoing Principal Mr. G.A. Adejuwon. On the 5th of February 1973, the school opened formally with sixteen of the old members of staff attending the first formal staff meeting. Some staff include Mr. J.A. Adedoyin, the Principal; Mr. J.A. Akinkuoye, the Vice – Principal; Mrs. F.A. Ajayi; Mr. I.D. Falodun; Mrs. M.B. Ojuola; Mr. F.F. Oguntirin and some others.

On the 14th of January, 1944, Mr. Ayo Micheal Aniyikaye reported as the Vice – Principal of the school.
Late Sir M.O. Fajugbagbe led three (3) other old students in Lagos in other to attend the National Meeting of the Old Students’ Association in preparation for the 40th founder’s year anniversary.

On the 23rd of January 1997, Mr. C.O. Agbele assumed office as the new principal. On the 31st of May 1999, Mr. R.T.B Bolarinwa took over from Mr. Agbele as the Principal. Later, Mr Adewumi Faniola took over as the eleventh Principal from Mr Bolarinwa R.T.B. Mr Adewumi Faniola was posted to Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti on the 19th of January 2004 and was succeeded by Mr. S.S. Akinyemi as the new Principal.

On the 22nd of June 2006, Professor Folayan Ojo instituted a Scholarship Award to three categories of students as follows:
1. Best student in JSS 1 to JSS 2
2. Best student in JSSCE
3. Best student in SS2 to SS3

On the 27th of September, 2006, Pastor J.A. Falowo reported as the new principal to replace Mr. S.S. Akinyemi.

On the 21st of September 2011, Pastor Falowo bowed out of service and handed over to Mr. Femi Famodimu.

On the 6th of December 2011, A motorized mower was donated to the school by the Old Student Association which was shipped down to Nigeria from the U.S.A.

On the 26th March 2013, Mr. Femi Famodimu was appointed as the Director of Planning Research and Statistics (DPR&S) at the Teaching Service Commission, Ado Ekiti.

On the 18th of April 2013, Mr Ogunleye Joshua Kayode took over from Mr. Femi Famodimu. He spent almost six months in the school and was replaced by Mr. Abiodun Omotosho as the principal. Mr Omotosho was elected as the president of ANCOPSS Ekiti State.

On the 15th of May, 2014, a 22-seater bus was donated to the school by the Ijero Progressive Union, New York Chapter through Mr. Joseph Olusegun Dare.

On the 16th January 2018, Mr Omotosho was posted from Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti to Annunciation College, Ikere Ekiti and Pastor Ojo F.H. got a letter of posting to Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti from community Grammar school, Aramoko Ekiti.

Pastor Ojo F.H. established his vision and mission statement thus: To defend the integrity of Doherty Memorial Grammar School by performing extraordinary acts extraordinarily.

On the 7th of February 2018, the school celebrated its 63rd Anniversary with a candle procession through the street of the town to the place where the Ajero addressed us and prayed for the progress of the school.