Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
-As Olayinka Mayowa wins highest award
Three members of the Shams -El -Deen Grammar School Alumni Association, have empowered three of its members for their commitment and dedication to the association, with a brand-new motorcycle, deep freezer and a popcorn machine.
The lucky members were presented with the items after an open ballot at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association held at the old school premises.
While AbdulAzeez Shoneye of the 2011 set won the star prize (motorcycle), Noah Hakeem , a member of 2006 set, went home with a deep freezer, while another lucky member, Ondun Aina, won a popcorn machine.
At the gathering, Olayinka Mayowa, a chieftain of 1998 set, also won the highest Presidential award, emerging as the SGS 2025 Personality. Many other students were also honoured and recognized in the award categories which are Award of Extraordinary Service to SGS, Alumni Horizon Award, Excellence Award, Alumni Innovation Award, and Extraordinary Service Award.
Veronica Enedubiojo Onaji of the Class of 2005, emerged as the Miss SGS Alumni Association, after a keen contest among the sets.
About 20 branches of the national SGS Alumni Association, attended the event, as well as Mr Orisaseyi O.S, former Principal of the school, Mr Kareemot Remilekun Shobona, current Principal, Shams-El-Deen Junior School among others. Each of the sets, during the event, took turns to embark on a parade to register their presence.
President, SGS Alumni Association, Engr. Idowu Hameed, who has been leading the association for about five years, in his presidential address at the AGM, commended the growth of the association from about five branches to over 20.
“If you’re with us in 2021, when we called the first gathering of this association at Kings Hotel, Ikorodu, it was five branches that participated in that event. The following years, we kept communicating and improving on our dialogue and inviting other branches to join us.
“In 2022, we were able to gather 11 branches, and I see that as progress towards uniting everyone that has ever passed through this alma mater.
“In the third year in 2023, we had about 21 branches that registered their presence and we continued the progress till date. We have been improving and if you can see, of all the gatherings, today will mark the biggest gathering of this association, and we have to salute ourselves for a job well done”, Engr. Idowu said.
Aside from gathering over 20 sets under the SGS umbrella in the last five years, Engr. Idowu also listed putting in place of policies and programmes through which the association is setting agendas, successfully organizing elections, and holding regular physical and online meetings with the inclusion of members in the diaspora, building a functional website, preservation of the association’s in the cloud and developing a financial app to manage the association’s finances.
“We went a step forward to build a website for this association – www.sgsalumni.org. That’s our website, and you have to continue to visit because it is yours. We also have a share point site – “sgsalumni.sharepoint.com”.
“These are some of the things that are preparing and leading us to the path of greatness. It is not easy to achieve, but we have developed a financial app that manages our finances, that is why when many of you pay your annual dues, you usually get your automatic receipt in your emails. This is the power of AI in our operations.
“In recent time, if any of you are celebrating your birthday, you will receive an email in your inbox, congratulating you on your birthday. These are some of the things that we have allowed AI to do for us as an association. We cannot afford to be backward in the century of AI and automation. We are using this to our advantage and it’s working well for us”.
He also said that the alumni association has intervened in facilitating new structures for the school, and also communicating with corporate organisations to support the association in building ICT facilities.
President Idowu commended members of his executive council for their support and cooperation which, according to him, has been driving the association forward.
The SGS Publicity Secretary, Amodu Taofeek Olorunjeda, commended members of the association for their cooperation and support for the national body which he said has resulted in tremendous success.
He assured them of more impacting and uplifting programmes and policies, while also pledging the continuous efforts of the national body in transforming the school.
The 2025 SGS Personality Award winner, Olayinka Mayowa, speaking with THE IMPACT, said that the national association recognized his activities and interventions in bridging the gap and resolving differences within the association, with the award.
He said that the association and the school should be expecting more from him.
“The school should expect more from me. We have been doing good for the school, and we will still continue giving back to our alma mater. I will try to put in my best in promoting unity and moving the association forward. What we need now is unity and cooperation to continue to progress.
“I will always advise the old students to come together as one and let us move this association to the next level. Together we stand, and together we can do it better. So, we have to give back to the school. That is my advice to them. Thank you”, he charged.
Meanwhile, Abdulazeez Shoneye, winner of the star prize (motorcycle), thanked the association, and described his emergence as winner as a rare privilege, and thanked God for the opportunity.
