Ekiti Gets First Inclusive School as Oyebode Hands Over Adaptive Learning Facilities in Ikole-Ekiti.

Ekiti Gets First Inclusive School as Oyebode Hands Over Adaptive Learning Facilities in Ikole-Ekiti.

History was made on Thursday as the Irepodun Community Pilot School, Ikole-Ekiti, was officially handed over to the state government as the first inclusive school in Ekiti. 

The project, spearheaded and donated by the Former Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Akintunde Oyebode, features retrofitted adaptive classrooms and facilities designed to provide children with special needs equal access to quality education alongside their peers.

The newly completed facility was handed over to the Office of Special Education and Social Inclusion, headed by Princess Adetoun Agboola, in a colourful ceremony witnessed by dignitaries including the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye (representing Governor Biodun Oyebanji), Special Adviser on Information, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, former Attorney General, Barr. Wale Fapohunda (SAN), Hon. Dapo Karounwi, the Elekole in Council, represented by Chief Olotin and community leaders, among others. 

Hon. Oyebode, while addressing pressmen, said his vision for the project was driven by compassion and the urgent need to reduce the struggles faced by children with disabilities in accessing education.

“This project is about giving every child a fair chance. Before now, children with special needs in Ikole and neighbouring towns had to travel far to find inclusive schools. This new facility eliminates that burden and ensures they can learn in a supportive environment close to home,” he said.

He explained that the classrooms were carefully designed to meet inclusive education standards, stressing that the gesture was not charity but an investment in human dignity and the future of Ekiti State.

The Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Adetoun Agboola, described the event as a major milestone in Ekiti’s journey toward mainstreaming children with disabilities. 

She noted that the Federal Ministry of Education had urged states to develop actionable work plans for  Inclusive Education and Ekiti was already taking bold steps in that direction under Governor Oyebanji.

“Inclusive education ensures that children with disabilities learn in the same classrooms as their non-disabled peers. It fosters empathy, equity and opportunity. Hon. Oyebode has again shown his commitment to people with disabilities in Ekiti by initiating this groundbreaking project,” Agboola said.

She further disclosed that parents of registered children had been given tokens to purchase uniforms, a step she said would encourage immediate enrollment and early resumption of the children in school. 

Speaking on behalf of Governor Oyebanji, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye praised the initiative, describing it as a vital complement to the administration’s people-centred policies.

He said the project shows that private individuals and government can work together to create an inclusive and enabling environment for every child, saying Hon. Oyebode has shown great compassion, with a call on other well-meaning Ekiti sons and daughters to emulate the gesture of giving to society. 

Hon Aribasoye reaffirmed the commitment of the Ekiti State Government to providing an enabling environment for the people living with disabilities across the state. 

Also speaking, Special Adviser for Information, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, highlighted the importance of private contributions to public development. 

He noted that government cannot provide all infrastructure alone, stressing that initiatives like Oyebode’s are a great addition to humanity.

High Chief Shayo Okunola, who represented the Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti, conveyed the monarch’s appreciation to Hon. Oyebode, describing him as a worthy ambassador of the town; just as he assured him of the community’s continuous support in his political journey.

He expressed the belief that the opening of the school means that children with special needs no longer have to endure long commutes to access quality education without discrimination.