Nearly five decades after their journeys began at Command Secondary School Jos, members of the institution’s first five cohorts are set to return to Plateau State for a historic reunion and homecoming aimed at reconnecting old classmates, celebrating distinguished alumni and supporting a new sports development initiative at the school.
The four-day gathering, scheduled for September 24 to 27, 2026, will bring together alumni, current students and staff, education stakeholders and invited guests under the theme, “Footprints: Reflections on the Life & Times of the Pioneers.”
The pioneer group, known as the CSSJ-Pentagon, comprises the first five cohorts admitted between 1977 and 1981 and graduating between 1982 and 1986.
The reunion comes at a significant point in the school’s history. Independent reporting earlier this year showed that preparations had been underway for months to bring the pioneer sets together in Jos, with alumni expected from Nigeria and overseas.
According to the organisers, the programme is designed to go beyond the traditional reunion format by creating opportunities for alumni to transfer knowledge and experience to younger generations while developing projects that could leave a lasting impact on their alma mater.
Defence Minister, Military Leaders Expected
Among those expected at the gathering are the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), Acting Commander of the Nigerian Army Education Corps, Brigadier General Yushau Dogara Ahmed, and the Commandant of the Nigerian Army’s Rukuba Barracks in Jos, according to the organisers.
The guest list reflects the historical relationship between Command Secondary School Jos and the Nigerian Army’s education system.
Command Secondary School Jos remains one of the boarding institutions listed by the Directorate of Command Schools, while the 2026/2027 admission process confirms the school continues to admit students under the Command Schools system.
Beyond the military community, the homecoming is expected to feature pioneers who have built careers in academia, public administration, law, business, healthcare, sports, media and community development.
Pioneers to Examine Journey ‘From Classroom to Country’
A major component of the programme will be the CSSJ-Pioneers Colloquium, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, at the Crispan Hotel in Jos.
The colloquium, themed “From Classroom to Country: How School Days Inspired National and Global Impact,” will allow members of the pioneer generation to examine how their experiences at the school influenced their professional and personal development.
Rather than concentrating only on individual achievements, organisers said the discussions will explore the role of friendship, discipline, leadership and the school’s institutional culture in shaping the alumni.
Two special sessions are planned.
The “Red Necks’ Roundtable” will feature retired senior military officers from the pioneer generation reflecting on their careers and experiences, while “Commanders Beyond the Barracks” will focus on alumni who have made contributions in civilian professions and public life.
Current students and members of staff are also expected to interact with the pioneers, providing an intergenerational dimension to the event.
That element could become one of the reunion’s more important contributions, allowing today’s students to engage directly with former pupils whose careers span several sectors of Nigerian society.
Alumni Target Indoor Table Tennis Centre
The homecoming will also have a development component, with the pioneers seeking support for a proposed indoor table tennis centre at Command Secondary School Jos.
The project is expected to provide students with improved facilities for training, competition and talent development.
Fundraising for the facility will form part of activities surrounding the reunion’s gala.
The initiative draws on the school’s sporting history, which organisers say included participation and achievements in football, athletics, hockey, volleyball and table tennis.
A CSSJ-Pioneers Charity Table Tennis Tournament, tagged “The Unfinished Game,” will form part of the programme.
The choice of table tennis also has a connection to members of the pioneer generation. One pioneer, Asuquo Martins Odiong, has recalled his participation in several sports while at Command Jos and his later involvement in table tennis coaching.
The proposed facility represents a broader trend among alumni associations seeking to supplement institutional resources through targeted projects.
Command Secondary School Jos alumni have previously supported infrastructure at the institution. Earlier reporting on the wider Command Secondary School Jos Old Students Association highlighted alumni involvement in projects aimed at improving facilities at the school.
Pioneers to Retrace Jos Memories
The four-day programme will also take participants beyond formal discussions.
Activities include a welcome reception, tour of Jos, visits to locations associated with the pioneers’ school years, fellowship events and a return to the Command Secondary School campus.
For alumni who left the institution more than four decades ago, organisers say the programme is intended to reconnect individual professional journeys with the common environment in which many of those journeys began.
The reunion will also remember members of the pioneer generation who have died.
Organisers said the memorial component will recognise their contributions to the CSSJ community and preserve their place in the collective history of the pioneer sets.
‘Night of the Golden Medals’
One of the major ceremonial events will be the “NITE of the GOLDEN MEDALS”, an awards and gala evening scheduled for September 26 at Tamarald Events Center in Jos.
The awards will recognise alumni and supporters for contributions spanning the Armed Forces and security services, academia and research, public administration, politics and governance, business, sports, entertainment, media, humanitarian service and community leadership.
Special recognition will also be given to individuals who have supported the pioneer alumni community and helped organise the homecoming.
The pioneers plan to formally acknowledge Command Secondary School Jos and the Nigerian Army Education Corps for what they describe as their foundational contributions to the education, discipline and character development of generations of students.
From Reunion to Legacy
For the CSSJ-Pentagon, the September gathering is ultimately intended to combine nostalgia with institution-building.
The five sets have taken different paths since leaving the school, producing professionals across the military, government, business, academia, healthcare, law, sports and other sectors. Their return brings those individual journeys back to their common starting point in Jos.
The proposed table tennis centre is intended to ensure the reunion leaves something more permanent than photographs and memories.
From September 24 to 27, the pioneers will revisit the classrooms, sporting traditions and friendships that shaped their formative years while considering what their generation can contribute to students coming behind them.
As the organisers put it, the homecoming brings together five pioneer sets and nearly five decades of shared history, with the objective of turning that history into a legacy for another generation.
