BRIEF HISTORY OF CMDEAF NIGERIA

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The Late Dr. Andrew Foster a deaf black American educator and missionary brought education and gospel to Africa with introduction of American Sign Language to train the deaf people in 1957. He invented some local signs to complement American Sign Language that has brought the light of education to the deaf. It makes teaching strategies clear, simple, and easily understandable. He founded Christian Mission for the Deaf in order to liberate the deaf Africans from bondage of illiteracy, poverty, joblessness and hunger, regardless of religion and ethnic background, our fruited and successful services are offered to the deaf communities. In fact, he had brought hope and happiness to save them from deep despair.

Andrew Foster visited for field study in 1958. Later he decided to set up Christian Mission for the Deaf, and hence, established the first and best primary school called Ibadan Mission School for the Deaf at Molete, Ibadan, Oyo State in May 1960. The school dissapeared in 1972 due to the Federal Government's policy of taking over mission schools.
Then in 1972, he founded the centre for vocational school, Bible school and teacher training. Hence, he pioneered a total of 31 schools and 2 centres for the deaf in 13 Africans countries before he was killed by airplane crash at Rwanda in Africa on 3rd December 1987.
On taking over after the death of Andrew Foster in January 1988, Engr. Emmanuel Ilabor who enjoyed a very close relationship with Andrew as his pioneer student, cook, mission helper, supporter and friend for 26 years noticed a decline in the education among majority of the deaf school leavers, so he decided to reactivate Christian Mission School for the Deaf at Onireke, Ibadan for the purpose of high qualitative primary school training in 1998. In addition, Andrew Foster Memorial College was established as a private Christian Secondary School for the deaf at Onireke, Ibadan in 2004.