In a nation where elites frequently travel abroad for medical treatment and education, Nigeria’s response to disability care remains grossly inadequate.
Millions of children and adults living with disabilities are left to navigate a society designed without them in mind, trapped in a cycle of neglect, stigma, and structural exclusion.
OAK Centre Prime: A Turning Point
Through OAKonsult, Adeloye is spearheading the development of OAK Centre Prime—Nigeria’s first world-class, fully integrated disability support facility. The Centre, which recently broke the ground in Oolo, Oyo State, is a massive undertaking: a 35-acre development designed to serve 1,000 children annually, with residential accommodation for 250. It will feature physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, diagnostic services, skill-building programs, and respite care.
“This is not a luxury; it’s a necessity,” said Mrs. Olufunke Adeloye, founder and Chief Responsibility Officer (CRO) of OAKonsult Disabilities Outreach. “We must create a structured system that gives children with disabilities the opportunity to thrive.”
The Centre will also act as a training hub for therapists and caregivers, and create 1,500 jobs—both directly and through economic activities in the host community. It will cater to families across socioeconomic divides, balancing private funding with grants and donations to ensure equitable access.
But despite its transformational potential, government involvement remains minimal.
The Policy Failure No One Talks About
Disability inclusion remains conspicuously absent from mainstream governance in Nigeria. From inaccessible public buildings to underfunded special education schools and a lack of disability data, the system fails at every level.
The 2018 Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act was a landmark law. But over five years later, implementation has been sluggish. State governments have failed to domesticate the Act. Disability desks in ministries are symbolic at best. And the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), though in existence, is vastly under-resourced.
As Adeloye warns, “We need partners who recognize the urgency of this vision. We’re not asking for handouts—we’re asking for collective action.”
A Model for What’s Possible
What sets OAK Centre Prime apart is not just its scale, but its philosophy. OAKonsult does not treat disability care as charity, but as socio-economic investment—an enabler of human potential and a driver of inclusive development.
The Centre will feature not only clinical and educational spaces, but also inclusive recreation areas, a chapel, botanical gardens, and even OAK Farms—underscoring the belief that children with disabilities deserve not just support, but joy, dignity, and opportunity.
The project is being built in partnership with the Oolo community, whose leaders donated the land in a powerful act of communal responsibility. Initially seeking just 12.5 acres, the overwhelming support led to a tripling of the allocation to 35 acres—proof that local ownership is possible when the vision is clear.
Nigeria Must Step Up
Nigeria needs a robust disability-inclusive budget at federal and state levels; mandatory training for public service workers in inclusive practices; fully funded early intervention programs; proper enforcement of accessibility regulations and strategic investment in human resource development for therapists and caregivers.
“We must stop seeing disability care as optional or secondary,” Adeloye said. “It’s central to who we are as a society.”
It is time for Nigerian leaders, institutions, and citizens to match her courage with commitment. Because when a country fails its most vulnerable, it fails everyone.
A Call To Action:
Donate Today
UK: https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/OAKonsult
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/OAKCentrePrimeNgn
Nigeria: Stanbic IBTC | 0053838107
