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By Christopher Oji
A nongovernmental-organisation (NGO), OAKONSULT, has concluded plans to establish a health care facility in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, to take care of children with disabilities.
The centre would have equipment that will be able to detect from the womb children with disabilities, their peculiar challenges and offer solutions to their problems.
This, according to the NGO, would save the parents of the challenged children the inconveniences of travelling abroad in search of solutions, wasting money and time tending to the sick child as every challenge would be handled in Nigeria.
At a press briefing in Lagos, the organisation announced plans to establish OAK Centre Prime, a specialised facility that will provide comprehensive care, therapy and education for children with special needs.
Rooted in the biblical principle which speaks of Christ’s promise of abundant life, it believes that this promise extends to individuals with disabilities. Registered in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the organisation aims to establish disability support centres across all the 36 states, with OAK Centre Prime serving as the prototype.
According to the Chief Responsibility Officer, OAKONSULT, Mrs Olufunke Adeloye, the OAK Centre Prime would be designed as a fully accessible facility to address the spiritual, physical, social, emotional and mental well-being of children with disabilities.
She noted that the centre would also accommodate at least 250 resident children and young adults and also impact over 1,000 individuals annually.
“Provision of diagnostic services, respite care and therapy-based education, as well as training for parents and religious leaders on supporting special needs children will also be part of the services that will be offered.
“The foundation will also create approximately 1,500 jobs for healthcare and education professionals,” she added.
Adeloye further stressed that the vision for the centre was born from her personal journey of raising a child with special needs. After relocating to the United Kingdom to secure better care for her child, who lived until the age of 16, this situation, she noted, prompted her to become committed to helping other families in Nigeria access quality health care without having to travel abroad.
She said despite the presence of nongovernmental organisations working in disability support, critical gaps remain in Nigeria’s healthcare and education systems for special needs children.
She highlighted the urgent need for early intervention and government collaboration to bridge these gaps.
“If we have what we call early intervention, we can achieve things that will make everything easier for the child and the family without needing to travel out of the country,” she said.
She further called on government agencies, corporate organisations, medical professionals and individuals to support the initiative through funding, policy enforcement and awareness.
“This is not just about one centre. It’s about creating a movement that ensures that every child, regardless of ability, has access to the care and dignity they deserve,” she added.
