St. John Vianney Science College Wins Best Private School of the Year at Anambra Man of the Year Awards

St. John Vianney Science College, Ukwulu, has been named Best Private School of the Year at the fifth edition of the Anambra Man of the Year (AMTY) Awards, adding another prestigious accolade to what has become a string of recent academic and extracurricular achievements for the institution.

The award was presented at the AMTY Awards ceremony held on Saturday, July 18, at the Stanel Dome in Awka, in recognition of the school's achievements in academic excellence, innovation and leadership development. The honour places the school firmly among the state's most decorated private educational institutions, reflecting a trajectory of accomplishment that has extended well beyond Anambra's borders in recent years.

The school's recognition on the national and international stage has been building steadily. In 2025, it won the National Head Girls' Competition in Lagos, where its head girl was named Head Girl of the Year for outstanding innovation. That same year, the school was also among the winners of the Nationwide Inter-Senior Secondary Schools E-Debate Championship held in Abuja, further cementing its reputation as a competitive force in academic debate circles.

Its international profile grew significantly after the school represented Nigeria at the maiden UK-Nigeria Debate Championship, where it defeated top schools from both Nigeria and the United Kingdom to emerge overall champions ,a result that placed the institution on a genuinely global stage. Building on that success, two students from the school have since been selected to represent Nigeria at this year's World Schools Debating Championships in Kenya, an opportunity that speaks to the depth of debating talent the school has cultivated among its students. The institution had earlier made history entirely on its own by winning the inaugural National Girls in ICT Competition, further reinforcing its growing status as a centre of academic and leadership excellence within Nigeria's private education sector.

Receiving the award on behalf of the institution, the School Manager, Rev. Gerald Ogbulikpe, described the recognition as a tribute to the vision of the school's proprietor, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, popularly known as Ebube Muonso, as well as the collective dedication of its staff, parents and students. He said the honour belonged to everyone who had contributed to building the institution, crediting the proprietor with laying a bold foundation aimed at raising young people capable of excelling academically, leading with integrity, and competing confidently on any stage in the world. Ogbulikpe added that every teacher, staff member, parent and student had played a part in turning that vision into reality.

He further noted that the school intends to continue investing in academic excellence, leadership development, innovation, technology, public speaking, entrepreneurship and character formation, describing the award as motivation to reach even greater heights going forward. He expressed gratitude on behalf of the institution for the recognition.

In a statement issued by the co-founder of the AMTY Awards, Chinedu Okafor, organisers said the fifth edition of the ceremony was designed to honour individuals and institutions whose achievements continue to project Anambra State positively while inspiring excellence across public service, business, education, entertainment and philanthropy. The event has, over successive editions, positioned itself as one of the state's notable platforms for recognising outstanding contributions across multiple sectors.

St. John Vianney Science College was not the only notable recipient at the ceremony. Archbishop Valerian Okeke received the Person of the Decade Award, while the Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Amaka Onwughalu, was honoured as Woman of the Year. Actor Ken Erics Ugo also received recognition on the night, winning the Artiste of the Year Award, rounding out a ceremony that spanned business, religious leadership, entertainment and education.

For St. John Vianney Science College, the Best Private School of the Year award adds to a growing list of honours that have increasingly drawn national and international attention to the Ukwulu-based institution. With two of its students already set to represent Nigeria at the World Schools Debating Championships in Kenya later this year, the school's leadership appears intent on using the momentum from these successive wins to further strengthen its academic and extracurricular programmes in the years ahead.