Mfantsipim School marked its 150th anniversary in Cape Coast with government pledges of a 66-seater bus and GH¢250 million in GETFund support for infrastructure expansion.
The sesquicentennial celebration brought together traditional rulers, ministers of state, and old boys at an event reported by Graphic Online.
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, announced that the government would provide Mfantsipim with a 66-seater bus on or before January 1. Iddrisu said the institution will receive support from the GH¢250 million GETFund distribution outlined in the 2027 funding formula reserved for the 12 top-performing senior high schools to finance facility upgrades including dormitories, an assembly hall, classrooms, libraries, and ICT centres.
Very Rev., the Headmaster of Mfantsipim School, called upon former students to maintain their backing through professional expertise, infrastructure projects, mentorship, and other types of assistance.
“A legacy is not preserved simply because you remember it. It is preserved when we live its values, protect its integrity and pass it on stronger than we received it,” said the Headmaster.
As part of the milestone event, the Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta, welcomed the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to the Emintsimadze Palace in Cape Coast. The reception featured traditional leaders, schoolchildren, and drumming and singing performances from a Centre for National Culture troupe.
In line with tradition, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta offered the Asantehene water (brɛsuo) and assorted drinks as a welcome gesture, which the Asantehene reciprocated by presenting drinks to the palace. The Asantehene served as the guest speaker at the grand durbar on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
The celebrations featured a renewed call by leaders to preserve traditions of faith, discipline, and academic excellence in a rapidly changing world. Officials cited broader educational targets, including completing stalled infrastructure and the return of some senior high schools to single-track operations, alongside a GH¢1.3 billion allocation in the 2027 Budget aimed at secondary education improvement and the elimination of the double-track system.
Alumni marked the occasion by inaugurating the Sesquicentennial Memorial Park at Victoria Park on Friday, November 13, 2026, honoring the teachers, former headmasters, founders, students, alumni, benefactors, and other figures whose contributions helped build the school. Alumni also donated an ultramodern infirmary to support student health and welfare.
The National Science and Maths Quiz celebrated Mfantsipim as its four-time champion, with titles won in 1999, 2014, 2024, and 2025. The school claimed its first crown in 1999 before a 15-year gap led to its second victory in 2014.
After another decade, Mfantsipim triumphed in a 2024 final against St Augustine’s College and Keta SHS, overcoming a deficit at the riddle stage to win 47 points to 46 after eliminating defending champions PRESEC-Legon in the semi-finals. In 2025, the school successfully defended its title by scoring 56 points against St Augustine’s College and Opoku Ware School.
“The seed of James Picot and the Faithful 8 is 150!” the NSMQ said on Instagram, where the celebratory post drew over 2,300 likes within hours.
Established in 1876 with 17 boys, Mfantsipim is the oldest secondary school in Ghana. The institution served as a nerve center during political student strikes in March 1948 following the arrest of five members of the Big Six ordered by Gold Coast Governor Gerald Creasy in the wake of the Christiansborg Crossroads Shootings on February 28, 1948.
The strike lasted from March 13 to March 20, 1948, prompting the colonial government to close down three Cape Coast schools, resulting in the expulsion of approximately 150 boys and four teachers, including Henry Werner Aryee Kofi Sackeyfio of Mfantsipim.