For nearly a decade, visually impaired girls in Kwara State have been denied access to public secondary education due to a lack of hostel facilities at the state’s only designated school for blind students, Government High School (GHS) Adeita.
The school, established in 1967 and opened to visually impaired students in 1985, currently accommodates only boys. Its female hostel has remained shut, leaving many girls stranded after primary education.
One such student, 17-year-old Bushra Abas, is the only female enrolled at GHS Adeita. Without a hostel, she travels 20km daily from her home in Ilorin, while her male peers reside on campus. “Government should provide hostel accommodation and bring in other girls so I will not be alone,” she told reporters.
Others, like Agnes Daniel and Muibat, dropped out after primary school because of the distance and lack of support. Many families say the government’s inaction has pushed girls into isolation and wasted potential.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) in Kwara confirmed that repeated pleas to reopen the girls’ hostel have gone unanswered.
“For more than ten years, blind girls have had no access to secondary education in this state,” said Akeem Lawal, NAB chairman.
Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, however, disclosed that plans are underway to move the girls to Queen Elizabeth School in Ilorin, describing it as “a more conducive environment.”c
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