CAMPUS FACILITIES

The Nigerian Baptist Convention (proprietor) has for many years endeavoured to provide to the Seminary the best buildings and required equipment within available means and dictates of reason. Thus, each building has been planned or adapted to render maximum usefulness. In 1955, the Seminary occupied its present home, an imposing complex of connected buildings designed along Georgian lines of architecture with pleasing and functional tropical adaptations.

The main building in the academic complex houses both the Seminary chapel and the library (J.C. Pool Library), thus, providing the centre for both academic and spiritual life on campus. Flanking this main structure on the south is a wing with two upper floors, containing ten large, airy lecture rooms, and a lower floor with workshops and storerooms.

The north wing of the campus, houses faculty officers, a faculty lounge and a conference room (now Senate Room) on the upper level with more faculty offices and a student lounge on the lower level. Adjacent to this wing is the Seminary administrative building, built in 1972 and 1984, which houses the administrative offices and the Learning Resources Centre.

In 1973, an extension to the library was completed which greatly increased stack space and reading area for students and provided for an enlarged museum. With this addition and continuing acquisitions, the Seminary Library continues to rank among the best theological libraries in Africa.

The Seminary Music and Communications Building is located to the Southwest of the main complex. The building, completed in 1979, contains music classrooms, a music library, faculty offices and practice booths for students learning to play keyboards and instruments.

There is also a modern and well-equipped Mass Media Centre with three buildings which provides a training site for media specialists. This project reflects a concerned effort by the Nigerian Baptist Convention to proclaim the gospel through the mass media.

Adjacent to the Seminary football pitch is located the Seminary Multi-purpose Hall of about 5,000 seater capacity for use of Seminary programmes.

The former administration/classroom building near the new Seminary gate has been remodeled and is utilized primarily as the Museum and Archival Centre.

Two buildings, one of which was completed in 1975, are being used for the Preschool Religious Education Centre. These facilities provide Pre-School for Children of Seminary Staff, Students and general public an excellent opportunity for obtaining good, foundational experiences for life and for entering the public school system at the appropriate age. These buildings are located near the students’ residential area.

The Seminary also welcomes you to her Frances Jones guest house where affordable accommodation is provided at various rates to interested users. It is located within the serene environment of the Seminary campus. It also provides both Africana and Continental cuisines upon request and affordable prices.

Library

The James Christopher Pool Memorial Library houses 34,552 volumes for circulation and reference. The collection is being continually updated and enlarged. A unique contribution to learning resources for the students is the availability of an additional 500 books regularly updated for use as texts. Texts may be loaned to students for one semester at a time for use in specific courses. Students are also provided with 191 journals and periodicals as well as major research tools. A small collection of Africa antiquities is also housed in the library. The Library has an enlarged Learning Resources Centre which includes a large projection room, conference/preview room, work room and store room for the provision and utilization of audio visual resources for students and faculty.

Baptists and others are encouraged to send to the library materials of historical, theological and educational importance. Especially useful are church histories, programmes of church and associational activities, minutes of meetings of Baptist organizations and conferences, and other primary documents of religious significance.

Library Computerization

Online cataloging and classification of the library resources were carried out in 2011-2013.  The Koha system of the Library now carries the labels bearing the Library of Congress Class Number.  With regard to computerization, the academic area and the Guest House are now on the Internet.  The KOHA data-base used in the Library and the Internet have also been synchronized.

ICT Unit

The Library has been licensed to access ISTOR (Electronic) library with access to many research materials. (10 laptops have been installed in the Resource Centre and Postgraduate Carrel. The Internet Bandwidth size has been upgraded from 6mbps to 20mbps for the Seminary administration. The intension is to use the software for online registration, online payment, academic record management as well as student and staff data management. Mikrotik server has been upgraded to Mikrotik cloud route router (Authentication Server) which provides an enhanced speed and quality of service.
Two significant special collections in the library are the Cecil F. Roberson Collection of materials relating to Nigerian Baptist history and the Emmanuel Ajayi Dahunsi Collection comprising of New Testament, Greek, and other theological works from the library of the late Rev. Dr. E. A. Dahunsi, former General Secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Bible translator and Professor in this institution.

The T. A. Reid Memorial Music Resources Centre, housed in the Music and Communications Building, provides audio and print resources, musical scores and instruments for use in developing programme of music instruction.

SEMINARY CLINIC

In collaboration with a nearby Baptist Medical Centre, the Seminary has available health facilities for students and their families. Currently, the institution has in its employment two nurses and a qualified Medical Doctor who serves the institution on part-time basis. The nurses administer first aid and treat minor cases of illness or injury and refer serious cases to the Baptist Medical Centre. The nurses, running day and night duties, also carry out programmes of inoculations and other preventive measures, especially for children of Seminary students. The Seminary Clinic has been expanded to become a “mini hospital” to enable it provide a more excellent health facilities on campus for students and their families.