Vision
A generation of Huffaz who are grounded in the Qur'an, fluent in Arabic and fully prepared for life in Nigeria and beyond.
We raise Huffaz. We build scholars. We graduate world-ready Muslims.
GIFCOH is the college pathway of the Gifted Islamic Foundation, located in Omole Phase 1, Lagos. Boys aged 9 to 17 live on campus through a full eight-year journey that teaches two curricula: Qur'an memorisation, classical Islamic scholarship and structured Arabic education and a full Western secondary curriculum preparing pupils for examinations.
College structure
8 years
- Years 1–2: Hifz Foundation, ages 9–11
- Years 3–8: Islamic Scholars plus JSS1–SSS3
- Boarding, meals and pastoral care on campus
- Daily rhythm from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Entry from about age 9, graduation at about 17
Ages 9–17Boarding and day pupils
8 yearsHifz, scholarship and secondary
30 JuzFull memorisation with Ijazah
JSS1–SSS3Six years of Western education
Principal's message — A single destination: a Huffaz who can also sit an examination.
Our aim at GIFCOH is deliberately simple. A boy should leave this college able to recite the Qur'an with accuracy and understanding, to reason from the classical texts, and to compete confidently in a modern classroom. None of those three outcomes is optional, and none of them is achieved at the expense of the others.
Every pupil therefore follows a daily structure that protects memorisation while giving substantial, properly taught time to English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Civics and Computer Studies. The Qur'an is not taught instead of the curriculum; it is taught alongside a curriculum that meets national and international examination standards.
Parents are partners in this work. We report regularly, we are honest about what a child still needs, and we expect families to support prayer, revision and rest at home in the same way the school supports them on campus.
Our purpose — Vision, mission and the values we hold to.
GIFCOH exists so that a generation of Nigerian boys can carry both the sound of the Qur'an and the confidence of a well-educated young man.
Mission
To produce honest, disciplined and capable young Muslim men through memorisation, scholarship, a strong Western curriculum and sound character.
Taqwa first
Piety is the foundation. Worship, good character and honesty are treated as academic priorities, not extras.
Excellence
We hold a high standard in recitation, Arabic, academic work and conduct, and we support every pupil towards it.
The eight-year journey — From first letters to final examinations.
The college is structured as one continuous pathway. A boy who enters at about nine can work towards full Qur'an memorisation alongside a full secondary education without having to choose between them.
Years 1–2Ages 9–11
Hifz Foundation
Full-time memorisation with the daily revision, Tajwid and worship structure that makes a complete Qur'an memory sustainable.
- Primary level Western subjects continue alongside Hifz
- Durusul Lughah Arabic begins
- Progress reviewed through six-month checkpoints
Years 3–4Ages 11–13
Islamic Scholars' Foundation
Hifz consolidation alongside the first secondary years, with Arabic grammar and the classical curriculum properly introduced.
- JSS1–JSS2 mainstream curriculum
- Arabic grammar, Aqidah, Fiqh, Hadith and Seerah
- Maintenance of earlier Juz alongside new work
Years 5–6Ages 13–15
Scholarship and Junior Secondary
Deeper classical study with a full JSS3 and BECE preparation, so that examination preparation is never left to the final year.
- JSS3 and BECE preparation
- Mutawassitah and Thanawiyyah Arabic levels
- Research and presentation skills introduced
Years 7–8Ages 15–17
Senior Secondary and Examinations
SSS1–SSS3 with a chosen subject track, external examination entry and a structured university application year.
- Science, Commercial, Arts or General track
- WAEC, JAMB, IGCSE or A Level preparation
- Ijazah and university application support
Years and ages are indicative. Entry year and class placement are confirmed by admissions after the placement assessment, and progression remains subject to academic readiness, attendance and examination registration.
Memorisation with milestones — A measured route to the whole Qur'an.
Complete memorisation of 30 Juz and 604 pages is the target, reviewed against real checkpoint standards rather than the calendar alone.
Early Juz confidence
Al-Fatihah through the earlier Juz, with Al-Jazariyyah and Tuhfat al-Atfal memorised and applied.
Building the middle
The central Juz memorised in sequence, with daily revision of everything learned before.
Completion
The final Juz completed and consolidated through a dedicated revision period before the Grand Khatmah.
Tajwid standard
Recitation rules verified by the Muqri' and examined by qualified scholars, not by self-assessment.
Grand Khatmah
The complete Qur'an recited before a panel of at least two scholars, including at least one external examiner.
Shahadah and Ijazah
Certification of completion, followed by a Hafs 'an 'Asim chain of transmission where the panel so approves.
Classical Islamic education — Understanding the text, not only memorising it.
Memorisation is the spine of the programme. The study around it is what turns a memorised page into a lived understanding of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
Complete memorisation, daily revision, accurate recitation and the habit of returning to the text daily for the rest of life.
Tuhfat al-Atfal and Al-Jazariyyah memorised, then applied under daily correction and examined recitation.
A structured pathway through Ibtidaiyyah, Mutawassitah levels 1–3 and Thanawiyyah levels 1–2, building vocabulary and grammar in that order.
Foundational belief and the practical rulings of worship and daily life, taught so that worship is correct and understood.
Selected hadith collections, the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and tafsir studies that connect revelation to contemporary life.
Progression toward Ijazah across the Ten Qir'at, plus research, referencing and the discipline of writing a defensible argument.
Western education — A full secondary curriculum, properly taught.
From JSS1 to SSS3 the mainstream curriculum follows NERDC with Cambridge-style teaching, aiming to prepare pupils for Nigerian examinations and to keep international routes open.
What is taught
English Language, Mathematics, Basic Science, Social Studies, Civic Education and Computer Studies are taught throughout the secondary years, alongside Arabic and the Islamic curriculum. Senior secondary pupils add Physics, Chemistry and Biology on the Science track, Business Studies, Commerce, Accounting and Economics on the Commercial track, and the full Arts combination on the Arts track.
Practical capability matters as much as the syllabus. Pupils are taught how to write a coherent argument, use reference material, work with data, present in front of others and use a computer responsibly.
Science
- Physics, Chemistry and Biology
- Mathematics to the senior level
- Foundation for medicine, engineering and the sciences
Commercial
- Business Studies, Commerce and Accounting
- Economics and Financial Studies
- Mathematics and Computer Studies
Arts
- Literature, History and Religious Studies
- Language and social science combination
- Foundation for law, education and the humanities
General
- Balanced core without a single specialisation
- Suitable for pupils still confirming a direction
- Reviewed at SSS2 before SSS3
Qualifications and examinations — Examinations at each stage of the college.
Registration, indexing and candidate approval are handled with the appropriate examining bodies, and families are told in advance which pathway a pupil is sitting.
Junior secondary exit examination at the end of JSS3, taken seriously as a benchmark rather than an afterthought.
The Nigerian national school-leaving examination, with credits in 5+ subjects including English and Mathematics required for university admission.
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination preparation for university application.
International General Certificate of Secondary Education, a route the school aims to support for pupils pursuing an international pathway.
Advanced Level study for pupils aiming at universities that recognise the Cambridge system, subject to arrangements with the examining body.
A readiness check is offered where an international admission route or an older qualification format requires it.
Islamic and academic certification together
A pupil completing the college leaves with both kinds of record: the Shahadah al-Hifz and Ijazah for the Qur'an, and the transcripts, certificates and examination results for the school career.
A day at GIFCOH — Protected worship. Real lessons. Enough rest.
Prayer times move through the year, so the timetable follows each prayer at its correct time and is adjusted rather than displaced.
Times are indicative and are adjusted around prayer times, examination seasons and seasonal changes in daylight.
Boarding, health and pastoral care — A boy is looked after, not just taught.
A supervised home
Dormitories, dining arrangements, laundry and a protected evening routine are structured so that pupils are looked after around the clock by staff who know them.
Wellbeing on site
Health and registration are part of the school structure, with a health room on the premises and a clear process for parents to be informed about illness or injury.
Known by name
Each pupil has a named adult who follows their worship, study, conduct and wellbeing, and families are contacted when something changes.
Discipline and character
Good behaviour is taught rather than punished into existence. A clear conduct standard protects the dignity of the dormitory and the focus of the classroom, and persistent problems are addressed with the family rather than in isolation.
Technology — Digital tools used on purpose.
Technology supports the classroom, but it is governed by a clear policy so that it never competes with memorisation, sleep or study.
Mobile phones prohibited
Mobile phones are not permitted on school premises at any time.
Supervised digital study
Computer Studies is taught to a professional standard, and digital research is taught alongside academic honesty and proper referencing.
Laptops and tablets
Laptops and tablets are not required for the programme; if brought, they are stored securely and used only in supervised study periods.
Regular communication
Parents receive written reports and direct communication from staff, so the school is never the last to know what is happening.
Graduate profile — What a GIFCOH graduate carries out of the gate.
Our graduates are expected to be able to recite the Qur'an with confidence, read Arabic, reason from the classical texts, sit external examinations without fear, and behave in a way that makes the people around them better.
- A complete Qur'an memory with Tajwid and, where approved, Ijazah
- Arabic reading and a working knowledge of grammar
- WAEC, JAMB, IGCSE or A Level results
- Computer literacy and academic honesty
- Character: responsibility, composure, good speech and care for others
LifelongPartnership
- University application guidance
- References and recommendation letters
- Alumni community and continuing Quran classes
- Mentorship for graduates entering work
Admissions routes — Four ways into the college.
Every application is considered individually. The route a child enters on affects the first years of the pathway, not the standard expected of them.
Hifz entrant
The usual entry point, at about age nine and around Primary 4. The child recites Al-Fatihah and selected short surahs with reasonably correct pronunciation and shows genuine readiness to memorise.
Primary leaver
A pupil who has completed full primary education before enrolment enters the secondary years at the level agreed after placement, commonly JSS2.
Hifz graduate transfer
A boy who has already completed memorisation elsewhere is assessed for recitation and tajwid and placed directly into the Islamic Scholars' and secondary years.
Returning pupil
Pupils re-enrolling after an interruption are considered on their previous record, with placement reviewed alongside the family.
What families should prepare
The prospectus asks for basic items a boarding pupil needs on arrival: modest clothing and footwear, bed linen and towels, toiletries, Qur'an materials, school bags and exercise kit, a writing set and any personal medicines labelled for the school health team. Full lists are provided by the admissions office at registration.
Fee summary — Boarding fees for the college years.
Fees are confirmed with the school office for the current session before any payment is made.
View the prospectus fee summary
Fees below are the figures set out in the GIFCOH prospectus for a full boarding session, covering tuition, accommodation and meals, uniforms and books, and health and registration. The GIFTS pre-primary and primary fees are per term and are listed underneath for families joining the earlier years of the pathway.
- Tuition ₦720,000
- Feeding and accommodation ₦1,580,000
- Uniforms and books ₦150,000
- Health and registration ₦50,000
- Tuition ₦960,000
- Feeding and accommodation ₦1,580,000
- Uniforms and books ₦210,000
- Health and registration ₦50,000
- Preparatory ₦127,500
- Nursery 1 ₦142,500
- Nursery 2 ₦162,500
- Kindergarten ₦190,000
- Primary 1–4 ₦240,000
These are prospectus figures and are reviewed each session. A place is confirmed by the school office, which will issue the current fee schedule and explain the payment arrangement for the session.
GIFCOH questions families ask us
What is the difference between GIFTS and GIFCOH?
GIFTS is the pre-primary and primary school within the same foundation, and GIFCOH is the college pathway for older boys. A GIFTS pupil continues into GIFCOH at the agreed entry point, so the Hifz work started in the early years carries straight on.
Must a boy board to attend?
Most pupils board, because the daily structure runs from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Day attendance can be discussed with the admissions office, but the residential routine is central to how the programme works.
Does my son still take normal school subjects?
Yes. The Western curriculum runs throughout, not after Hifz. From JSS1 to SSS3 pupils follow a NERDC curriculum with Cambridge-style teaching, preparing them for secondary examinations.
Can my son take WAEC, JAMB or IGCSE?
Yes, subject to the track he is sitting and the school registering him as a candidate with the relevant examining body. Families are told which examinations a pupil is being entered for well before the registration deadline.
How is readiness for memorisation assessed?
During the admissions visit the child recites Al-Fatihah and selected surahs, and the Muqri' assesses pronunciation, confidence and consistency. Placement also considers the latest school report and the family's ability to support the daily routine.
What happens if my son cannot keep up academically?
He is supported rather than left behind. Teachers identify the gap, a focused support plan is put in place, and the family is involved. A pupil may be advised to prioritise Hifz and Arabic for a period before resuming a heavier academic load.
Ages 9–17 — Give him the Qur'an and the classroom.
Ask the admissions team about the current intake, the placement visit and what boarding at GIFCOH really looks like.