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, 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, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, lauded the facility, describing it as “a symbol of compassion, inclusion and collective progress.” She emphasised that it reflects President Bola Tinubu’s vision for inclusive governance.
According to a statement issued by 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.”
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, including safe accommodation, accessible education, and skilled caregivers, they flourish,” she added.
She acknowledged the longstanding dedication of Bethesda Home’s staff and offered inspiring words to 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.”
She assured stakeholders that OSSAP-SDGs would 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 that public infrastructure supports persons with disabilities.
Representing the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, 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.
Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, Oreoluwa Awokoya, described the facility as “hope made visible, and inclusion made real.
“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 place where ability rises beyond disability, and where the dignity of every human life is not only acknowledged, but amplified.
“Bethesda Home reminds us that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is not about slogans; it’s about building structures that ensure no one is left behind, especially not those who have often been kept furthest from opportunity.”
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, quality education and renewed hope for all.”
Other dignitaries, including 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 the commissioning, the Federal Government renewed its pledge to provide equal opportunities for all Nigerians, regardless of physical ability, advancing the vision of a more compassionate, inclusive and sustainable society.