A Lagos-based human resource consultant, Modupe Bankole has shown her continuous dedication and commitment to mentoring and developing school sports in Akwa Ibom State in the last six years. Bankole, a mentor with the Inoyo Toro Foundation was struck by the sheer determination of the foundation in rewarding teachers who are dedicated to nurturing and shaping lives in our society.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic NG, Bankole shared the serendipitous beginning of her involvement with the Inoyo Toro Foundation and the Methodist Senior Science College, which started at a conference in Abuja, where she learned about the foundation’s mission and decided to join, ultimately becoming a mentor for the college.
“It’s by providence, I would say,” Bankole said when asked about her journey with the Inoyo Toro Foundation. “I heard the founder of Inoyo Toro Foundation, we were at a conference in Abuja and he was talking to a group of people, and he mentioned that he has this foundation and needs to go to the foundation from the conference; I think there was a milestone anniversary for the foundation.
“When he was discussing with this group, I got curious. So I called one of the persons standing in the group and said, what is this about? And he explained to me anyway; short of it, I said, I want to be part of this. I got on the plane, found myself in what is now called the Ibom Icon Hotels and I sat at this table where they were some students that nobody was sitting with them, so, I sat on the table with them. It happens to be the Methodist Science Senior College students’ table, their mentor hadn’t shown up, I stood in and the mentor never showed up, and six years later, here I am, as a mentor for the MSSC.”
Modupe Bankole (left) with the Chairman of the occasion (middle) and MSSC principal Florence Essien inspecting parade at the 2024 Inter-house sports competition on Friday, March 8, 2024 (Image credit: The Athletic Images)
That journey has provided her with the opportunity to “support the students in their aspirations to the extent that the foundation allows.” Her mentorship extends beyond individual students to engaging with teachers and addressing challenges the school faces, such as infrastructure, educational materials, and facilities. She emphasises the universality of aspirations among students and the importance of providing a platform for them to fulfill their dreams.
“I enjoy coming to Uyo. I enjoy coming to Oron to interface with the students. For me, I get a feel that universally we’re all the same, and so the aspirations of most children in the world are about the same and all they need is a platform to be able to fulfil their dreams and I’m an activator of that fulfilment, at least in this phase of their journey and that is something that I truly, really enjoy.
“When you have a one-on-one with them, you understand that we intend to turn up our noses, especially those of us that live in the city, but sitting with the students changed my life, and I realised that there’s so much to be done even beyond the city.
“I had a tete-a-tete with them (teachers) to understand what the challenges are. Challenges in terms of infrastructure, challenges in terms of educational materials, challenges in terms of equipping the library, challenges in terms of even things like facilities to use for convenience because this is a boarding school, some things are falling, water, and things like that.
“To the best that we can, we give support, financial advice also, but my main focus is actually the students and to tell them that anything is possible. That the current circumstances would not determine what their future is, if only in their mind, they can think beyond that and that my role here is to say, hey, we are on this journey together and I’m here.”
Modupe Bankole celebrating a trophy with the members of the Green House which she was their sponsor (Image credit: The Athletic Images)
On March 8, 2024, Mrs. Bankole traveled from Lagos to Oron to actively participate in the Inter-House Sports Competition organised by the Methodist Senior Science College, a school with a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1988.
Modupe Bankole talks about her connection to sports and their educational significance, and the vital life skills that sports instill in individuals, emphasising the transformative power of competition in teaching humility, empathy, kindness, teamwork, and other essential qualities.
“I will say results don’t lie. I am a recipient of public school education where sport was taken seriously. The only reason you will not participate in sports is because you had a cogent medical reason and so I understand how sport is very important in teaching certain life skills that are required for success.
“Sport is not just a gaming activity to win medals; it’s very important because it prepares humans, especially in the formative and developmental years, for how to relate with other humans, how actually to be human because you’re in a competitive environment. Your humility, your empathy, kindness, striving to outperform yourself, encouraging others, working in a team, being kind, being honest, everything put together is what sports give you.
Bankole with the captain of the Green House (Image credit: The Athletic Images)
“Again, I say that sports is not only a gaming activity; it’s actually an education in itself. I was saying earlier that the problem of Nigeria is not about how many people know science, how many people know biology, how many people know all of these subject matters, but it’s about our behaviour and what better platform to use, for instance, an experiential study than put the students in an activity that helps them develop this very important skills and sport. So that is my relationship with sport.”
Methodist Senior Science College was one of the most revered schools in Akwa Ibom State because of its stature and has produced a good number of successful Nigerians in different fields of endeavour, such as medicine, engineering and others. 38 years later, the school looks abandoned, dilapidated and unsecured for learning.
The principal of the school, Mrs Florence Eyoren Essien, said the school needs a perameter fence to help secure lives and properties.
MSSC principal, Mrs Florence Eyoren Umoren (Image credit: The Athletic Images)
“We really need the government to give us perimeter fencing. This is why we have all the theft and vandalisation at the school. If we have parameter fencing, I think some of those excesses will be curbed. Many parents who are security conscious will not bring their children to school.”
Dr Iniobong Umoren, a chemistry lecturer at the University of Uyo and a consultant with the Inoyo Toro Foundation, feels the plight of the school and calls on the government to make the school a model school.
“For me, when I came in here, I felt like weeping because of the deplorable state. Methodist Senior Science College has been one of the schools we knew from across the Niger. For us over there, we hear of Methodist Senior Science College, Oron, what I am seeing today doesn’t really look like that school. For me, I know that the coming of private schools has really brought down the public schools in our society.
Dr Iniobong Umoren (Image credit: The Athletic Images)
“What the Inoyo Toro Foundation has been doing over the years, for us to come here to see the teachers, students and today we came for the inter-house sports competition, I came because of the foundation, I’ve never entered this school before.
“The foundation has already started some work, talking with government, collaborating with government to see what they can do. This place is a good school environment, I think that the foundation will have to do some work with the government who is saddled with the responsibility of running schools to do something about this school. We cannot allow it to be in the form that it is, if we come here, at least, when we had it as Senior Science College then, it was a reference point, why can’t we come make this place a model school in Oron and change the narrative?
“There are many people living in this environment, there will send their children to this school, so, it is not the foundation that will come and take over the running of the school. The foundation can collaborate with government to set up this place as a model school.”
