Achimota School has celebrated its 97th anniversary under the theme 'Nurturing the Present, Restoring the Legacy.'

Established in 1927 as the first mixed-gender secondary boarding school in the Gold Coast, Achimota School has been touted as a trailblazer in providing an all-round education.

The school has produced leaders such as Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President.

The Founders' Day Celebration is a weekend of activities to remember the troika of founders of the school Guggisberg, Fraser and Aggrey, and all the influential Ghanaians who have passed through the school and to remind ourselves of the lofty vision of Achimota, as well as recalibrate it for the future.

Three sets of Akora year groups namely the 1974,1984 and 1999 sponsored this year’s celebration with a packed weekend of activities.

This year's celebration began with an art exhibition, AKORA art, highlighting the remarkable contribution of Akora artists like Ato Delaquis, Theodocia Okoh, Oku Ampofo, Bentil and others.

It also focused on Amon Kotei's work. There was also a dental screening and treatment outreach in the school to offer free dental services to hundreds of students by the 1974-year group.

The 1999-year group on Thursday 29th Feb 2024 spearheaded the launch of the Achimota School Endowment Trust (ASET) Fund.

The ASET fund seeks to support the school’s long-term financial goal to raise $10 million equivalent by the centennial year as a financial resource for academic, infrastructural and a variety of educational programs.

On Friday evening the customary vibrant Torchlight Procession, bonfire and jamboree kicked off the weekend with a variety of year groups present and interacting with thousands of students. This was sponsored by the 1999-year group.

Saturday afternoon's Grand Durbar was the high point of the revelry, with a concrete expression in music and dance of the school song - from Gambaga to Accra, Wiawso to Keta and beyond national borders. The afternoon event was a colourful event showcasing various aspects of the rich Ghanaian heritage, culture, dance and customary rites.

The Old Achimotan Association president Akora Joel Nettey charged all to revisit the objectives and values on which the school was founded and contemplate the relevance of Achimota School on this 97th anniversary, as all eagerly anticipate the forthcoming centenary celebrations.

He charged all to ask themselves if Achimota School, as it is currently structured, is in the position to deliver on these objectives and values.

He made a call to Akoras worldwide to look at themselves with a new lens and see what each can and should do to help Achimota school regain its glory as well as compete favourably on even the international stage.

The special guest speaker was Akora Adrian Nii Odoi Oddoye of the 1974-year group.

He re-emphasised the fact that Academic excellence and public-spiritedness are the legacy that must be restored and nurtured in the present and implored the current students, to reflect on the theme again, highlighting the fact that restoring the legacy can only be achieved through nurturing the present.

In his keynote address he stated that as Achimota celebrates its 97th Founder's Day, all must reflect on how all can actively contribute to restoring and safeguarding this legacy of academic excellence and public-spiritedness for future generations.

As their legacy project, the 1974- and 1984 Year Groups of Achimota School undertook the task of rehabilitating and converting the original old assembly hall of the school into a ‘state-of-the-art’ multipurpose facility.

The original scope was to rewire the building, as there had been several electrical fires in school buildings.

However, it soon became clear that the scope needed to be expanded drastically to include repairs to leaking roofs and damaged ceilings; upgrading electrical infrastructure; renovating washrooms; restoring parquet floors; restoring the doors; improving the audio room and hall with audiovisual equipment; and a fresh coat of paintings. The estimated costs rose to around GH¢1,320,000 (US$120,000).

The headmaster Ebenezer Graham Acquaah thanked all the celebrating year groups for the unflinching support and the investments made to keep the school running smoothly.

He implored all to continue to discharge what they do best with excellence and wished all success in their personal and professional lives as all collectively strive towards positioning Achimota School as a Global Centre of Excellence in Secondary Education.

Sunday 3rd March 3, 2024, brought the curtains down with a thanksgiving service with a brilliantly delivered sermon and address by Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante, a former presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana and chairman of the Ghana Peace Council.

He admonished all to think big, aim high and be ambitious in their personal and collective quest to achieve greatness and restore the Legacy of Achimota School.

This year’s Founders’ Day celebration marks the countdown to the centennial anniversary in 2027 with a series of activities and projects lined up to restore the legacy.