In a defining moment for inclusive education in Nigeria, the Federal Government has commissioned a modern educational and residential facility at the Bethesda Home and School for the Blind in Surulere, Lagos. The project, spearheaded by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), marks a significant step in the national commitment to leave no one behind. The expansive facility includes 16 classrooms, dormitories, staff quarters, a braille computer training centre, a library, a sound studio, and accessibility ramps all designed to support a fully inclusive learning environment for visually impaired individuals. Delivered under the Renewed Hope Agenda, it brings dignity, safety, and opportunity to some of the country’s most underserved youth. At the commissioning, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, described the home as “a symbol of compassion and collective progress,” emphasizing its direct impact on multiple SDGs, including poverty reduction, education, health, and reduced inequalities. “This is more than a building. It is a place of refuge, learning, and growth ; a space where children with visual impairments can dream, thrive, and lead,” she said. The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, also lauded the initiative, stating that it aligns perfectly with the State Government’s values.

Other speakers at the event, including the Chairman of Surulere Local Government Area, Hon. Sulaimon Bamidele Yusuf; the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwan; and former Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Taxation and Revenue, Mr Bola Shodipo, all praised the initiative, insisting that it would go a long way in alleviating the plight of the beneficiaries and restoring hope. Dr Oreoluwa Awokoya, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, called the facility “hope made visible, and inclusion made real,” while other dignitaries, including representatives of the Lagos State Government and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, praised the project’s long-term value. The event also paid tribute to the Bethesda Home’s decades of service. In her closing message to the students, Princess Orelope-Adefulire reminded them, “You are not defined by your sight, but by your strength. The world needs your light to shine on.” With this milestone, Bethesda enters a new chapter- one where access, empowerment, and dignity are no longer aspirations, but reality