In a significant leap toward inclusive education, the Federal Government has commissioned a fully equipped Braille computer training centre, modern classrooms, and dormitories for visually impaired children at the Bethesda Home and School for the Blind in Surulere, Lagos.
The facility by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), comprise 16 classrooms, a Braille ICT centre, a library, sound studio, accessibility ramps, staff quarters, and dormitories.
These were designed to create a safe and empowering environment for children with visual challenges.
Speaking during the official commissioning ceremony, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, through a statement by her
Special Assistant on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Desmond Utomwen, said the facility embodies President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reflects the administration’s commitment to building a Nigeria where no one is left behind.
“This home reaffirms our shared humanity and commitment to inclusion,” she said. “Through this Bethesda Home for the Blind, we are nurturing dreams, restoring dignity, and strengthening the wings of those who were never meant to be grounded.”
She emphasised that the intervention aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 4 on quality education, SDG 10 on reducing inequalities, and SDG 11 on inclusive communities.
Representing the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barr. Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, described the facility as a “legacy project that underscores the administration’s belief in equal opportunity for all.
“This project is a direct response to the call for accessible, high-quality education infrastructure for children living with disabilities. It is not only a gift of knowledge but a declaration of dignity and belonging.”
Also, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende noted that the initiative aligned with the state’s vision of inclusive development and social justice.
Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on SDGs, Dr. Oreoluwa Omowunmi Awokoya, described the new facility as “hope made visible, and inclusion made real,” adding, “This is not just a building, it is a sanctuary of learning and growth, built on foresight, not just sight.”
Other dignitaries at the event, including the Chairman of Surulere local government area, Hon. Sulaimon Bamidele Yusuf; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwan; and former Lagos State Tax Adviser, Mr. Bola Shodipo, hailed the centre as a transformative intervention that restores hope to some of the nation’s most underserved children.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire encouraged the students saying, “You are not defined by the limitations of your sight but by the strength of your spirit. The world needs your light. Shine on.”
The federal government also pledged to continue prioritising social infrastructure and inclusive education in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
