Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Federal Government has affirmed its commitment to inclusive development with the unveiling of a state-of-the-art educational and residential facility for visually impaired children in Lagos.
A renewed wave of social investment swept through Surulere this week as the newly constructed and fully furnished complex at the Bethesda Home and School for the Blind was officially inaugurated, marking a significant milestone in the drive to leave no one behind.
The expansive project comprising 16 classrooms, dormitories, staff rooms, a Braille computer training centre, a library, and a sound studio, among other facilities was delivered by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
It stands as a beacon of inclusive learning, accessibility, and dignity for Nigeria’s blind and visually impaired children, aligning with key priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire described the facility as “a symbol of compassion, inclusion, and collective progress,” noting that the intervention reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance through the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“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 stated.
The Presidential aide added that the facility speaks directly to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 on ending poverty, SDG 3 on good health and well-being, SDG 4 on quality education, SDG 10 on reduced inequalities, and SDG 11 on 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.” Orelope-Adefulire declared.
In his remarks, Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, commended the project.
He expressed confidence that the Federal Government, through OSSAP-SDGs, would continue to support the Home and School to ensure the children are not left behind.
In her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Sustainable Development Goals, Dr Oreoluwa Omowunmi Awokoya, described the facility as hope made visible, and inclusion made real.
Her words: “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. As a sister and friend to one of Nigeria’s finest public servants, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, and a proud daughter of this very State, I stand here with a shared commitment: to push beyond tokenism, and towards real, measurable inclusion for people living with disabilities.”