In a significant move to enhance educational inclusion, a non-profit organisation has partnered with a multinational company to provide vital support for visually impaired students across Nigeria.
Essential Tools for Education and Mobility
The Society for the Welfare of the Blind (SWBN), with crucial backing from SC Johnson, distributed specialised study kits and walking aids to selected students. The handover ceremony took place on 23 December 2025 at SC Johnson's corporate headquarters in Isolo, Lagos, aligning with the commemoration of this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
No fewer than ten students from various secondary and tertiary institutions nationwide received the packages. Each kit contained essential tools designed to aid learning and independence, including a computer, a school bag, a digital audio recorder, and a guide cane.
A Personal Mission Born from Experience
The founder of SWBN, Emiola Ladipo Tade, revealed that the initiative was deeply personal. Having lost his sight in 1990, Tade was motivated to establish the organisation after witnessing the level of poverty at the Blind Centre in Oshodi years ago. He discovered that most students there came from severely disadvantaged backgrounds and struggled to afford basic educational tools.
Tracing the organisation's 27-year journey, Tade highlighted the pivotal role of corporate partnerships like the one with SC Johnson in sustaining their mission. "We still have a long way to go, given the large number of visually impaired students who need support," he stated, acknowledging the scale of the challenge.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to utilise the equipment fully and expressed profound gratitude to SC Johnson for its financial and moral support. Tade also made a strong appeal to other multinational corporations, urging them to integrate support for people with disabilities into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, noting the mutual benefits of such initiatives.
Rigorous Selection Process Ensures Impact
Maria Kazeem, a member of SWBN, provided details on the selection of beneficiaries. She explained that the ten students were carefully chosen from ten different institutions across the country. "The selection process was very thorough," Kazeem said. "The beneficiaries were duly investigated and found to be doing well in their studies, ensuring the support goes to dedicated learners."
This event underscores a growing recognition of the need for targeted interventions to bridge the accessibility gap in education for persons with disabilities. It serves as a call to action for more private sector involvement in creating an inclusive society where every student has the tools to succeed.
