Oba Adedokun Abolarin teaching civic education to students of Abolarin College

The King in His Classroom "A king who steps off his throne and into a classroom — every single day, for every single child."

Cross-section of Abolarin College students seated at a mentorship seminar

Bright Minds at Work "Former street hawkers and farm labourers — now students, determined, ambitious, and alive with possibility."

Oba Abolarin addressing the full student body on the assembly ground

Morning Assembly "He is more than their founder — he is their father, their counsellor, and their most committed believer."

Students of Abolarin College working together on the school farm

Learning Beyond Books "Students grow their own food daily — building self-reliance and entrepreneurship alongside their academics."

The full Abolarin College community — students, teachers, Oba Abolarin and partner team

One Community, One Mission "Students, teachers, partners and a king — united by the belief that education can transform a nation."

Est. 2014 · Oke-Ila Orangun, Osun State, Nigeria

Education Is the Ticket Out of Poverty

A completely free, full-boarding secondary school where the only criterion for admission is poverty and brilliance — founded by a king who chose a classroom over a palace.

Discover the Story Watch Overview

135+Students Enrolled

75+University Graduates

96%JAMB Pass Rate

₦0Fees Charged

30+States Represented

01King Teaches

02Students

03Assembly

04School Farm

05Community

"They are abandoned with a mindset that they are not important. But they are the ones Abolarin College is interested in. They can become very important in their generation if given proper training." — Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin · Orangun of Oke-Ila · Founder & Proprietor

Our Mission To fight poverty through education — providing free, world-class, holistic secondary education to indigent children from across Nigeria, regardless of tribe, religion or background. No child is turned away for being poor. That is precisely the condition for entry.

Students of Abolarin College gathered in front of school statue

Students enjoying their free daily meal at Abolarin College

Our Story

An Oasis in the Desert of Deprivation

Founded in September 2014 by Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin — the Orangun of Oke-Ila — Abolarin College was born from a royal conviction: that a throne is a missionary seat, and that education is the most powerful instrument of social transformation.

Located in Oke-Ila Orangun, tucked in the lush green hills of Ifedayo LGA, the college takes in students who were previously hawking pepper on the streets, toiling on farms, or living as orphans and child labourers. Here they receive not just free tuition — but a home, nourishment, dignity, and a pathway to a future they could not have imagined.

Students speak at least three languages — English, French and Yoruba. They are trained to be intellectually sound, entrepreneurially independent, and morally rooted. The school has drawn partnerships with the DAWN Commission, Impact Africa Foundation (IAF), Babcock University, First Bank PLC and the Grooming Centre Lagos.

Oba Abolarin teaching Civic Education to students in the classroom

The Founder's Classroom

A King Who Teaches

Oba Abolarin steps into the classroom to teach Government and History — giving students something no money can replicate: direct access to a leader who believes in them.

Students of Abolarin College listening attentively at a mentorship session

Academic Life

Eyes Fixed on a Future

Former street hawkers and farm hands — now in evening prep, focused, ambitious, and transformed by the simple act of someone believing in them.

Oba Abolarin with the full student body and IAF partner team at Abolarin College

Partnership & Impact

A Community of Believers

Partners, teachers, students and the king — united by the conviction that every indigent child in Nigeria deserves a dignified future.

What We Offer

Everything a Student Needs. Completely Free.

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Free Tuition

Full secondary school education — WAEC, NECO and JAMB preparation — at zero cost to students or their families.

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Full Boarding

Every student lives on campus with three free meals a day, removing the pull of farms and street-hawking after school.

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Computer Lab Access

Students have access to a computer lab, preparing them for a digital economy right from rural Oke-Ila Orangun.

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Free Internet

Constant internet access lets students research, explore and engage with the wider world — from Osun State.

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Uniforms & Clothing

School uniforms, house wears, shoes and slippers fully provided. Partners like Babcock University have donated clothing regularly.

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School Farm

Students spend time daily on the farm, producing their own food and learning entrepreneurship and self-reliance.

Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin

Aroyinkeye I · Orangun of Oke-Ila · Founder

LLB · Obafemi Awolowo University B.Sc. Political Science · OAU M.Sc. International Relations · OAU Former Lawyer, Supreme Court of Nigeria Installed as Orangun, December 2006

The Visionary

A King Who Chose a Classroom Over a Palace

Oba Abolarin is no ordinary traditional ruler. Before ascending the throne of Oke-Ila in 2006, he was a practising lawyer at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a lecturer at OSCAS Ile-Ife and St. Andrew's College of Education, and a media professional at Tell Publications and Sportsmark International.

He does not simply own the school — he walks into its classrooms regularly, offering mentorship, counselling, fatherhood and friendship to children the system had discarded. "The throne is a missionary work meant to touch the lives of the subjects," he says.

The college accepts students from any tribe, religion or state. Its students have come from Borno, Benue, Imo, Edo, Kwara, Niger Delta and beyond — a deliberate act of nation-building, producing citizens fluent in English, French and Yoruba.

30+

States Represented

Languages Spoken

100%

Personally Funded

Student Voices

What Our Students Say

"I have never seen this kind of beautiful school in my life. I used to trek a long distance to my former school. But now I am in a boarding house — and this makes learning very exciting."

AdeniyiFrom Aboluade Middle School, Oke-Ila Orangun

"In my former public school, whenever we came back, we would go to the farm in the evening. But now, instead of going to the farm, we go for prep and prepare for the next academic day. This has helped us so much."

Erosin GabrielStudent, Abolarin College

"Oba Abolarin has transformed us into persons our different backgrounds could not have achieved. We owe the society the duty to give back to it when we reach our peak."

Kehinde AyanwaleFormer Library Prefect, Abolarin College

How to Join

Admission Process

Identification

Education consultants visit public primary schools to identify indigent but academically gifted students from across Nigeria.

First Examination

Shortlisted candidates sit a first round of entrance examinations on a level playing field, regardless of state or background.

Second Examination

Top scorers advance to a final selection examination to determine the admitted cohort for that academic year.

Enrolment

Successful students enrol as full boarders — all tuition, feeding, uniforms and materials provided from day one, at zero cost.

Who Is This School For?

Children from public primary schools anywhere in Nigeria
Students from poor or indigent families — poverty is the financial criterion for entry, not wealth
Students who demonstrate academic aptitude through the entrance examination
Children from any tribe, religion or state — diversity is a core value at Abolarin College
If your parents are wealthy, you are not eligible — this school is for those the system has overlooked

To enquire about admission: admissions@abolarincollege.org or call +234 803 453 0344

Our Journey

A Decade of Transformation

2014

College Founded

Oba Abolarin inaugurates Abolarin College. The Deputy Governor of Osun State presides at the inauguration ceremony in Oke-Ila.

2017

IAF Partnership & Mentorship Visit

Impact Africa Foundation's Taiwo Oyedele (PwC) visits the school, mentors students, and donates books, school bags, foodstuffs and scholarship funds.

2018

DAWN Commission Engagement

The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria formally engages the college to unlock private sector and diaspora support structures.

2019

Grooming Centre Donates a School Building

A full school building is donated by Grooming Centre Lagos at a commissioning coinciding with Oba Abolarin's 60th birthday.

2020

First JAMB Cohort — 96.43% Pass Rate

All 28 pioneer SSS3 students sit JAMB/UTME. A 96.43% pass rate. All had six fully free years of education. 10 proceed to Adeleke University on scholarship.

2025

75 in Universities, 135 Currently Enrolled

A proven national model. 75 graduates in Nigerian universities. 135 lives being transformed right now in Oke-Ila Orangun.

Senior prefects of Abolarin College with the IAF team and donated school bags

Senior prefects with IAF team and donated supplies, 2017

Supporters Who Kept the Flame Burning

DAWN Commission — strategic facilitation and diaspora engagement

Impact Africa Foundation (PwC's Taiwo Oyedele) — mentorship, books, scholarships

Babcock University High School — consistent clothing donations

First Bank PLC & Chief Wale Babalakin — financial support

Grooming Centre Lagos — donated an entire school building, 2019

Join the Mission

Partner With Abolarin College

Kabiyesi sparked the fire. It behoves the rest of us — individuals, businesses, foundations, diaspora communities and universities — to keep it burning. Partnership is not only financial. It is mentorship, skills, time, resources, visibility and solidarity. Every form of giving counts. Every person who cares can make a difference here.

Taiwo Oyedele (IAF) presenting scholarship certificate to Oba Abolarin for Abolarin College students

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Individual Supporter

You don't need to be a corporation. If this story moves you, reach out. Give what you can — money, books, clothing, food, time, a skill. Every contribution directly touches a student's life and future.

Get in Touch →

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Corporate Partner

Align your CSR with one of Nigeria's most compelling education stories. Fund meals, donate equipment, sponsor a student cohort, or co-create a mentorship programme. We will document and share the impact of your contribution.

Propose a Partnership →

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Diaspora & Foundation

Whether you are a Nigerian abroad, a family foundation, or an international NGO — your resources can reach places that government has abandoned. Fund scholarships, build infrastructure, or design programmes for a community waiting to be seen.

Start a Conversation →

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University Partner

Offer guaranteed admission tracks, scholarship agreements or mentorship exchanges with our top graduates. Babcock University leads by example. Your institution can be next in shaping what these students become after Abolarin College.

Explore Academic Partnership →

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Media & Advocacy

Tell this story. Blog it, film it, broadcast it. Journalists, content creators and filmmakers — come to Oke-Ila and see it with your own eyes. Visibility is a form of philanthropy that costs only commitment and time.

Plan a Visit →

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Skills & Mentorship

Are you a professional, entrepreneur or expert? Offer your skills. Visit the school and run a workshop. Be a mentor. Inspire a student who has never met anyone who looks like where they are trying to go. Your story alone is a gift.

Offer Your Skills →