Students Protest 1-Year Closure of FARMCRAFT School for the Blind in Lagos

Dozens of blind protesters took to the streets of Ikeja on Monday, demanding the reopening of the Nigeria FARMCRAFT Centre for the Blind, which has been closed for over a year.

Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the demonstrators gathered at Airport Road, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restore operations at the federally owned institution.

“We want the president of Nigeria to meet our welfare. The school has been closed since last year, come and open the school. That is the only federal school in Nigeria for the blind,” one protester said.

Another demonstrator lamented: “They didn’t see any other school to lock, it’s this one.”

Founded in 1957 by Sir John and Lady Wilson, the NFCB became a federal institution after independence. However, it has faced repeated closures — including a two-year shutdown from 2017 to 2019 — with long waiting lists due to strict admission quotas that allow only three students per state annually.

Protesters, under the banner of the Inner Eye Foundation/The Blind Community, also called on the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to prioritize the welfare of people with disabilities.

When contacted, the Federal Ministry of Education declined immediate comment, asking instead for a formal letter via email.

The NFCB has not admitted or trained students since 2016, and blind advocates say the prolonged closure deepens the education gap for visually impaired Nigerians.