History Of Rumfa College and RUMFOBA

Our Premier Institution, Rumfa College Kano, was established in 1927 as Kano Middle School. It remained as Kano Middle School for the next twenty seven years, when it metamorphosed into Kano Provincial Secondary School in 1954. Ten years later it was named Native Authority (NA) Secondary School in 1964, and in 1966 it was renamed Government Secondary School Kano. In 1970 the school’s named was yet changed to Government College Kano and finally to its present name, Rumfa College, Kano, in 1980. Since its inception, this historic citadel of learning has produced prominent personalities: from two (2) Nigerian Heads of State to Governors, legislators, ministers/commissioners, Emirs, traditional title holders, diplomats, seasoned politicians, scholars, teachers, bureaucrats/technocrats, businessmen and experts in virtually every profession, all of whom have excelled in their chosen fields and careers.

On its part, our great association, Rumfa Old Boys Association (RUMFOBA) was first established in July 1977, after the celebration of Rumfa Week, which coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the College. It was initially named Bagauda Old Boys Association in order to maintain the name of a popular School Magazine, Bagauda. It was however later discovered that there was Bagauda High School (now defunct) in Kano and thus the name was changed to Rumfa. The choice of the name “Rumfa” was, first in memory of the legendary Emir of Kano Muhammadu Rumfa (1463 -1499) and second, because the word “Rumfa” meaning shade or cover aptly describes the College’s premier position as the nucleus of educational development in Northern Nigeria. This explains why the name Rumfa College was adopted for the school in 1980 and hence the Association’s name became Rumfa Old Boys Association (RUMFOBA).

After its formation, a Caretaker Committee was put in place, chaired by Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali and Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed Sarki Rano as Secretary. Prior to the nomination of the Caretaker Committee, there was an Interim Committee from 1975 to 1976, under Alhaji Ibrahim Wada, who was at the time a student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. It was the efforts of the students from ABU in conjunction with their counterparts from Bayero University, Kano (BUK) that culminated in the formation of the Association. The Caretaker Committee stayed in office up to March 1980 when the first election of the National Executives was conducted. Brigadier Abbas S. Wali emerged the first elected President, with Alhaji Abubakar Sarki Mohammed Rano as Secretary General, both of blessed memory. Other members of the first EXCO included Alhaji Faruk Aliyu Garko (1st Vice President), Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulhamid (2nd Vice President), Mr. Bayo Joseph Akinola (1st Assistant Secretary), Alhaji Nu’uman Barau Danbatta (2nd Secretary), Alhaji Shehu Minjibir (Treasurer), Alhaji Muhtari A. Dangana (Assistant Treasurer), Alhaji Aminu Bashir Wali (Financial Secretary), Alhaji Isyaku Umar Tofa (Assistant Financial Secretary), Hon. Justice Sanusi Ciroma Yusuf (Legal Adviser), ALhaji Muhammadu Adamu Dankabo (Director of Social), Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim (Publicity Secretary), Alhaji Bashari Umar Dambatta (Auditor), Alhaji Gali Umar Na’abba (Ex-Officio) and Alhaji Ibrahim B. Ringim (Ex-Officio). Prior to this however, there was a strong move by various old boys, under “Classroom Associations”, to establish a National Association.