Teacher, Principal, Administrator
Winnie Aifie Alagoa was a formidable educationist who contributed immensely to the development of education and women in the Niger Delta.
Synopsis
Dame Winnie Aifie Alagoa (1935-2018) hailed from Nembe town in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. She was an exceptional educationist from the late 60s to the 90s. As principal at some notable secondary schools in the old Rivers State, her reputation as a disciplinarian sent chills down the spine of students and teachers. She was also a home builder and ensured that women in the old Rivers State had their rightful place in society through the government’s pet project in the mid-80s (the Better Life Programme). She lived a fulfilled life and died as an Anglican in 2018 at the age of 82.
Early Life and Education
Dame Winnie Aifie Alagoa was born on August 15, 1935, in Rumueme town, Eastern-Nigeria (now Rivers State), to Mr. T.A Francis and Mrs. Comfort Atonbara Francis (nee Ockiya). Her parents were well-educated individuals from Nembe town in Nembe Local Government Area of what is now Bayelsa State. Mr. T.A Francis was once the Headmaster of St. Cyprian’s School, Port Harcourt, and later an employee of United Africa Company (UAC) Port Harcourt, while her mother was a trained educationist at St. Monica’s Girls School, Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria. Madam Comfort Francis was also a granddaughter of the famous Rev. D.O Ockiya, an educationist, author, priest, and translator of the Bible, Prayer Book, and Sankey Sacred Songs into the Nembe Language.
Winnie Aifie Alagoa was well brought up by her parents in a disciplined manner and exhibited Christian values.
She had her primary education at St. Cyprian’s School, Port Harcourt, from 1942 to 1948 and obtained the First School Leaving Certificate. Afterwards, she sat and passed the entrance examination to study at Archdeacon Crowder Memorial Girls School (ACMGS), Elelenwo, but unfortunately, she couldn’t proceed, probably due to a lack of funds.
Despite her financial predicament, she was never deterred from acquiring her education. Therefore, she adopted the slow, winding teacher training route; she attended Women’s Training College (WTC) Isiokpo, Eastern-Nigeria (now in Rivers State) for the Grade III Teachers Certificate from 1952 to 1953, and she performed excellently at the college. Thereafter, she attended St. Monica’s College Onitsha, Eastern-Nigeria, from 1956 to 1957 and obtained the Teacher’s Grade II Certificate in 1973.
She proceeded to the Rivers State College of Education (now Ignatius Ajuru University of Education) to study English/History and graduated in 1976 with a National Certificate of Education (NCE). It was adjudged that she made the best result in her year class with credits in all subjects. Subsequently, in 1981, she went to the United Kingdom to further her education at the University of Hull, England, where she bagged a B.A (Ed) degree in 1982. Due to her academic performance at the university, she was offered a placement to study for her Master’s degree in 1983, but she declined the offer for the sake of her immediate family back home in Nigeria. This was a decision she never regretted in her lifetime.
Career Life
Winnie Aifie Alagoa was a quintessential tutor from the 1960s. She started off as a pioneer staff of the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Port Harcourt, Eastern-Nigeria. She was the first Headmistress of the YWCA Nursery School, which was the first nursery school in Port Harcourt. At that time, the school had only 18 pupils, but due to her diligence and professionalism, the population of the pupils grew to 200 in one year.
Subsequently, in the 1970s, she progressed to the primary education sector as a teacher and later became a headmistress par excellence at the following schools: St. Luke’s School, Nembe, old Rivers State (now Bayelsa State) as a tutor, Township School, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State as a teacher and later as a headmistress, St. Peter’s School Yeghe, Rivers State as a teacher, Mary Slessor Memorial School, Arochukwu, Abia State as a classroom teacher, and also Holy Trinity School, Calabar, Cross Rivers State as a teacher.
Thereafter, she further progressed to the post-primary school system as a teacher and later a principal at the following schools from the 1980s:
She was a proficient Literature in English and History teacher at Stella Maris College,
Port Harcourt. Subsequently, she was made Vice Principal at Holy Rosary Secondary School, Port Harcourt, and later posted to the same school as Principal. She was the Principal at the Government Girls Secondary School, Isiokpo, Rivers State, and later posted again as Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Nembe.
Winnie Aifie Alagoa was a formidable educationist. She left her footprints on the sands of time at the various schools she administered as Principal. She was diligent, a good disciplinarian, and above all, very neat. Dame Winnie Aifie Alagoa had the greatest riches of life due to the long list of students she impacted as a tutor and mentor. Some of her students are now managers of conglomerates, directors, permanent secretaries, proprietors of schools, among others.
Afterwards, she left the school system in 1992 and was promoted as a Deputy Director/Head of the Planning, Research, and Statistics Department in the Ministry of Education, old Rivers State. Winnie Aifie Alagoa finally retired on October 1, 1993, meritoriously from the Civil Service of the old Rivers State.
Retirement
Life was no doldrums for Winnie Aifie Alagoa. She took to business and founded WAIFIE (NIG.) LIMITED, serving as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Her firm provided consultancy services to some reputable international Non-Governmental Agencies (NGO) in Nigeria, such as the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help and the Education for Africa.
Social Life
She co-founded the National Council of Women Society (NCWS) in the old Brass Local Government Area (comprising Brass, Nembe, and Ogbia) in the old Rivers State in the late 1980s. Winnie Aifie Alagoa was once the President of the Women’s Council, Brass LGA. She was instrumental in the formation of co-operative societies for women in Brass Local Government to improve their lives. The Better Life Programme was a government pet project at that time for supporting women in rural areas. Winnie Aifie worked with this project and impacted many women in her Local Government as the coordinator.
In her hometown Nembe, she was never dormant. She was the first Secretary of the Ilate Women’s Club, Nembe, a famous philanthropic socio-cultural organization. Winnie Aifie Alagoa also helped bridge the gap between Ogbolomabiri and Bassambiri by forming a cultural dancing group comprising members from both towns.
Awards
Dame Winnie Aifie Alagoa was recognized as one of the distinguished Past Principals at The Holy Rosary Secondary School’s Golden Jubilee celebration held in Port Harcourt in 2007. In 2011, the Gospel Friends Association honored her excellence in motherhood, an award for her motherly roles and virtuous nature.
Faith
Winnie Aifie Alagoa was a staunch Anglican who embraced Anglican doctrines deeply from her parents. She was a committed member of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Mile One Diobu, Port Harcourt, until its relocation to the St. Cyprian’s Church compound, and also at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Nkpogu, Port Harcourt, and several others.
In August 2006, the Niger Delta West knighted her as Dame of St. Christopher. Between 1987 and 1991, she served as a member of the Parochial Church Committee (PCC), St. Luke’s Church, Nembe.
Her Family
Winnie Aifie Alagoa was married to the late Mr. McLean Joe Alagoa, and they had five excellent children. She was a loving mother but a strict disciplinarian who ensured that her children had the highest moral upbringing. In addition, she was an excellent cook and hostess, leaving a lasting impression on the minds of guests who visited her home.
Her Death
It was reported that Dame Winnie Aifie Alagoa died in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on April 24, 2018, of natural causes. She was buried in her hometown, Nembe (Ogbolomabiri), on June 8, 2018, according to the Anglican Communion burial rites. She was 82 years old.
