Giving Back Redefined: How LOSA Is Rewriting The Script Of Alumni Impact
By Eric M Kuju
In an era where alumni associations often limit their influence to reunions and dinner parties, the Lafia Old Students Association (LOSA) is charting a new course that powerfully redefines what it means to give back to one’s alma mater.
At the heart of this transformation is Dr. Faisal Shuaib, OON, a proud old student of Government Science School, Lafia, and National President of LOSA. Through a series of capital-intensive projects which were funded largely from his personal resources, Dr. Shuaib has brought not just a facelift but a profound spirit of renaissance to the school that shaped him.
As the 2025 LOSA Convention holds on Saturday, August 9, alumni from around the world will gather, not just to reminisce about their youthful days but to witness the commissioning of infrastructural landmarks that have turned the school into a centre of excellence.
Leading the pack of dignitaries expected is the Grand Patron of LOSA and Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, who will formally commission the projects. Also expected are luminaries across all walks of life especially old students of the school, including the Emir of Lafia and retired Supreme Court Justice, Hon. Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, Dr. Joseph Haruna Kigbu, Mr. Timothy Anjide, Ambassador Musa Ilu, Ishaka Mudi Dikko SAN, Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, Hon. Solomon Akwashiki, Dauda S. Kigbu Esq, and many others who proudly carry the LOSA identity.
But the limelight truly belongs to one man whose deep passion for education and community upliftment has driven this remarkable transformation; Dr. Faisal Shuaib.
Where once stood aging buildings and outdated infrastructure, now rise modern structures that reflect the dreams of a visionary. The school’s examination hall has been completely reconstructed and now boasts air-conditioning, a spacious waiting lounge, and an ambiance that inspires academic excellence.
Not stopping there, Dr. Shuaib has constructed international-standard basketball and volleyball courts, giving the school’s athletes and sports lovers a renewed sense of pride and purpose.
Even the LOSA National Secretariat has undergone a full-scale refurbishment. What was once a modest structure is now a remarkable facility with fully furnished offices, a digital data room, conference space, kitchen, beautifully landscaped surroundings, and a large capacity power generating set.
And in addressing one of the school’s long-standing challenges, the issue of clean water, Dr. Shuaib delivered a solar-powered borehole system complete with running taps, solving the problem of hygiene in a community that had long struggled with water scarcity.
For Dr. Faisal, this isn’t just charity. It is a purposeful investment in future generations. In his remarks in May 2024 when he led LOSA to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Justice Sidi Bage as Emir of Lafia, Dr. Faisal said that the motivation behind his investment in education, particularly in the infrastructure in Government Science School Lafia, is to ensure the students have a fair chance to attain great heights in life. A firm believer in the power of education to change destinies, he has often said that his goal is to ensure that students of Government Science School Lafia go farther in life than he has.
This philosophy also finds expression in his scholarship schemes, which have supported hundreds of students across Nasarawa State. By removing the barriers that once blocked access to quality education, he is sowing seeds that will sprout for generations to come.
LOSA, under his leadership, is no longer just an alumni body. It has become the model for other schools and associations across Nigeria would do well to emulate. It has proven that true success is not measured merely in personal accomplishments, but in how one lifts others along the way.
As the 2025 Convention draws near, with its blend of project commissioning and a Gala Night celebration, the mood among staff, students, and alumni is electric. There’s a deep sense that something extraordinary is happening.
LOSA has not only come home, it has come with purpose, with vision, and with heart.
And through it all, Dr. Faisal Shuaib – now popularly and fondly called DFS – stands as a symbol of what becomes possible when gratitude meets action.
