The first primary school in Nigeria was established by the Wesleyan mission (Methodist Church) in 1843 in Badagry-Lagos. It was named Nursery of Infant Church and later became St. Thomas’ Anglican Nursery and Primary School, founded by Rev. Golmer of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1845. The school was established inside the first storey building in Badagry. The oldest secondary school in Nigeria is CMS Grammar School, located in Bariga, Lagos. It was founded on June 6, 1859, by the Church Missionary Society.
The curriculum at CMS grammar school included subjects such as English, Logic, Greek, Arithmetic, Geometry, Geography, History, Bible Knowledge, and Latin. Babington Macaulay, a scholar and theologian, served as the first principal until his death in 1878. Notably, he was the father of Herbert Macaulay, a prominent figure in Nigerian history.
