The Federal Government, through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), has inaugurated an educational and residential complex at the Bethesda Home and School for the Blind in Surulere, Lagos.
Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on SDGs, underscored the government’s commitment to inclusive development during the unveiling ceremony held on Tuesday. Speaking on the intervention, she described it as “a symbol of compassion, inclusion, and collective progress.”
The newly constructed facility includes 16 classrooms, dormitories, staff rooms, a Braille computer training centre, a library, and a sound studio, among other amenities. The project aims to provide a supportive environment for children with visual impairments, fostering their education, growth, and dignity.
“This Home reaffirms our shared humanity and commitment to leave no one behind, particularly the most vulnerable in our society,” Orelope-Adefulire stated. “This is a place of refuge, a centre of learning, growth, and dignity for children with visual impairments.”
The intervention reflects President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aligning with multiple 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.
Representing the chief of staff to the president Femi Gbajabiamila, at the event, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, the special adviser to the Lagos State governor on housing, commended the initiative. She expressed optimism that OSSAP-SDGs would continue to support the Bethesda Home and School to ensure the children are not left behind.
Dr Oreoluwa Awokoya, the special adviser to the governor on sustainable development goals, described the facility as “hope made visible and inclusion made real.” She emphasised that achieving the SDGs requires tangible structures that ensure equitable opportunities for all, particularly those furthest from access.
“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,” Dr Awokoya remarked.
Lagos State commissioner for youth and social development Mobolaji Ogunlende also praised the project, highlighting its alignment with the state government’s values.
“This milestone underscores our administration’s commitment to promoting inclusion, sustainability, quality education, and renewed hope for all,” Mr Ogunlende said.
