From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In a move to promote inclusive development and empower visually impaired children, the Federal Government has officially commissioned a cutting-edge educational and residential facility at the Bethesda Home and School for the Blind in Surulere, Lagos.
The new complex, unveiled on Tuesday, June 3, represents a major stride in Nigeria’s commitment to leaving no one behind under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The expansive facility, delivered by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), includes 16 classrooms, dormitories, staff rooms, a Braille computer training centre, a library, and a sound studio. Designed with accessibility and dignity at its core, the project embodies the government’s dedication to inclusive learning environments for children with visual impairments.
At the commissioning ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, hailed the facility as “a symbol of compassion, inclusion, and collective progress.” She emphasised that the project reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for inclusive governance.
According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Desmond Utomwen, the SSAP-SDGs said: “This Home reaffirms our shared humanity and commitment to leave no one behind, particularly the most vulnerable in our society. This is a place of refuge, a centre of learning, growth, and dignity for children with visual impairments,” Orelope-Adefulire said.
She further highlighted the facility’s alignment with several Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
“Through this Bethesda Home for the Blind, we are nurturing dreams. We are restoring dignity. We are strengthening the wings of those who were never meant to be grounded. When children with visual impairments are given the right environment—safe accommodation, accessible education, skilled caregivers—they flourish,” she added.
Orelope-Adefulire acknowledged the longstanding dedication of Bethesda Home’s staff and offered inspiring words to the students: “You are not defined by the limitations of your sight but by the strength of your spirit. The world needs your light. Shine on.”
She assured stakeholders that OSSAP-SDGs will continue to prioritise inclusive education and social infrastructure nationwide as part of Nigeria’s efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The building features accessibility ramps and inclusive design elements, consistent with OSSAP-SDGs’ policy to ensure public infrastructure supports persons with disabilities.
Representing the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, praised the project and expressed confidence in continued federal support for the Home.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, Oreoluwa Awokoya, described the facility as “hope made visible, and inclusion made possible.”
“What we celebrate here today is more than brick and mortar; it is a sanctuary of vision, built not on sight, but on foresight—a testament to ability, where the dignity of every human life is not only acknowledged, but amplified,” Awokoya said. “Bethesda Home reminds us that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is not about slogans; it’s about building structures that ensure no one lives with opportunity.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, also lauded the initiative, stating: “This milestone underscores our administration’s commitment to promoting inclusion, sustainability, and quality education for all.”
Other dignitaries, including Hon. Sulaimon Bamidele Yusuf, Chairman of Surulere Local Government Area; Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwan, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities; and Mr. Bola Shodipo, former Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Taxation and Revenue, praised the initiative, affirming its potential to transform the lives of visually impaired children.
With this commissioning, the Federal Government reaffirms its pledge to provide equal opportunities for all Nigerians, advancing the vision of a more compassionate, inclusive, and sustainable society.