Armed with this knowledge of how things ought to be in and outside the classroom, she began to put a machinery of setting up a standard school in place; especially after having the privilege of seeing the state of some schools she saw while in public service.

Having retired early in the year 2000; as arrangement for the take of the school was completed and Panaf Nursery Primary school was started on the 11 th September 2000. Just like a new born baby, the school started with Day-Care Crèche, ursery1 and 2, then primary 1, 2 and 3 with only 8 pupils. It was called PANAF NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL, Barnawa Kaduna. The only structure on the whole of the compound was the present primary section. All other parts of the land were fallow.

However, the school field existed and was used for football practices and other related games. To the glory of God, the first session ended with about 89 pupils. The progress was quite tremendous.

During the 2001/2002 session, the foundation for the ground floor which was primary section but now junior secondary section (Basic 7 – 9) began. Towards the end of the session, the whole block of twelve classrooms was completed and commissioned by the then Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, who later became the Executive Governor, Kaduna State.

As it was proposed, the primary section moved from the nursery section to the completed ground floor. That time, population strength had reached 200 (two hundred). In the year 2002 still, the demand for secondary school became highly imperative. Pressure became quite tense that the school had no option than to start admission into JS1 after conducting the first entrance examinations. About 25 students were offered provisional admission including the pioneer set of the Primary who graduated after completing their primary education and in September, 2002, the secondary section picked up properly. The population increased geometrically; it led to the need to complete the first floor of building which we now called the secondary section.

In the year 2005, the first set of junior secondary students graduated after writing their Junior NECO and State Examinations. The results were excellent. With that performance, even without enough publicity, the school enrolment exploded beyond imagination. Despite that, the school maintained the policy of a maximum of 30 students in a class to ensure that the quality and standard was maintained.

In 2006, there was the need to have standard and befitting laboratories. The foundation started in earnest and in 2007; this was completed, equipped and ready for use. It was not a multipurpose laboratory but different laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Foods and Nutrition, Geography room, Computer and Agricultural Science. In the same year 2007, the school admitted quite a number of students from both within and outside Kaduna State; Students from Abuja, Kebbi, Makurdi, Lagos and so on were admitted. As a result, the demand for boarding facility then became a serious and as God would have it, the foundation started. Before June, 2008 the ground floor was completed and commissioned. It was a block of 18 rooms; 9 rooms for boys and the other 9 rooms for girls, accommodating 8 students each. Before the end of the session the hostel had accommodated altogether, seventy (70) students. In the year 2008, we had already presented our first set of 5 students for WEAC and NECO examinations respectively. NECO result was 100% pass and WAEC was equally 100% pass. The results for 2009 set (14 in number.) in other WAEC and NECO were outstanding; as a result, the demand for admission into senior secondary school increased tremendously.

To the glory of God, the two sets of students gained admission into various universities in Nigeria and one of them at the University of Ghana. The demand for boarding facilities continued to grow until the top block was started and completed few months later and the whole building was ready for use by September 2008.

Consequently, student’s enrolment skyrocketed to eight hundred (800). This rapid population growth had led to the provision of the following: 30 Seater Coaster Bus, A 14 Seater Bus, A 40 KVA Standby Generator, A Bore Hole, Equipped and Standard Libraries, Internet Services*, A Standard Mini Stadium and so on. In addition, and due to the high demand for school bus services, two brand new buses where purchased. Also, as an accredited school for both WAEC SSCE and NECO SSCE, the need for a hall where these examinations would be conducted became so pertinent. Therefore, in 2010, the construction work started and was completed and commissioned as a multipurpose hall same year. In 2011, we had the first set of students who wrote their WAEC and NECO examinations in the hall. As usual, both the 2010 and 2011 results were outstanding to the glory of God.

As Panaf schools grew over the years, other schools started springing up and competition set in; therefore, the need to strategize through rebranding of the school became so obvious. The school uniforms were changed in 2012 from the ash strife shirts and gray trouser/skirts to white tops and dark-gray trousers/skirts for secondary boys/girls and white top purls dark-gray pinafore dress for girls and white top over dark-gray shorts for boys in the nursery and primary sections.

The need for expansion was also evident; therefore, a piece of land opposite the school was acquired in order to start up an A-Level programme. The foundation for the building was laid and construction started immediately and at the end of 2012/2013 academic year, the whole building was completed and ready for use.

However, the need to separate the primary section of the school from nursery was raised; therefore, on 15 th September, 2015, the nursery section was moved to occupy the ground floor while the first floor was used for A-level tutorials. After accreditation by the British council, the school was given license to operate Cambridge A-level programmes. We became a household of name and through the years, in 2019 to be precise, the name of the school was changed from Panaf schools to Grate Panaf Schools and today, we are known as GREAT PANAF SCHOOLS by all government and private establishments.

Today, he baby Panaf born in 2000 is now 25 years! Hip! Hip!! Hip!!! Hurray. The baby is an adult now with many children and grandchildren. To the glory of God, we have graduated eighteen (18) sets of students from 2008 till date. It is interesting to note that most of the students in secondary are the product of our nursery and primary school. Therefore, we are proud to say that we train and graduated complete students in character, sound-mind, morals, skills and academic standard.

We have participated in several external competitions and have won several awards. For instance, quiz competition, NAFDAC Essay writing competition, Kaduna State Science Teacher Association of Nigeria, Junior International Science Olympiad, Inter-Schools Quiz and debates, inter-schools science and tech competitions, Spelling Bee, Inter-Schools Football Match Competitions and so on. Our students are not only classroom oriented, their horizons have been broadened by excursions to many monumental institutions in Kaduna and equally, the production of a drone clap switch bulb and solar car are the brain work of our students which remained outstanding amongst schools in Kaduna and beyond.

Today, we are twenty five years (25) old. We give God all this glory for this progress and achievements. His Name Be Praised And Glorified. However, we still have a lot to achieve with time ensuring that our mission and vision are achieved.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in thanking God for His Love, Kindness, Guidance, Protection, Promotion, Mercy and Support. With him, all things are possible. THIS IS OUR STORY.

Mr. Yakubu Gaiya
Principal