The Anglo-Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind (ANWAB) has called on governments, institutions and communities to increase investment in inclusive education and scholarship opportunities for blind persons as it marks 30 years of promoting the welfare and empowerment of visually impaired people in Nigeria.
The organisation will make the call at a special public lecture scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, beginning at 10 a.m.
The anniversary lecture, which forms the centrepiece of ANWAB’s 30th anniversary celebrations, is themed ‘With Technology – That the Blind May See’, while the lecture topic is ‘Education Without Limits: A Call for Investment and Scholarships to Engender Inclusion and Empowerment of Blind Persons’.
Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, while Professor Emeritus Duro Oni will chair the occasion.
The event is expected to bring together stakeholders to examine how increased investment in education, assistive technology and institutional support can remove barriers to learning and create greater opportunities for blind persons, particularly students and women.
Established in the United Kingdom and registered with the UK Charities Commission in 1994, ANWAB commenced operations in Nigeria in 1996. Its core mandate is to provide educational and welfare opportunities for blind persons through Braille literacy, assistive technology, mobility and orientation facilities.
As part of the anniversary programme, the organisation will also present the pioneer Danlami Umaru Basharu Special Recognition Award to selected individuals and organisations in recognition of their contributions to ANWAB’s 30-year journey.
The award is named in memory of the organisation’s late founding Director.
In a statement announcing the anniversary lecture, Ogie Eboigbe, Chairman of the ANWAB 30th Anniversary Committee, said the celebration would provide an opportunity to rally public support for inclusive education and greater empowerment of blind persons.
The organisation said the lecture would also feature three discussants who will contribute to the conversation on expanding educational access and strengthening opportunities for visually impaired people.
ANWAB’s 30th anniversary comes at a time when technology is increasingly creating new possibilities for people living with visual impairment, particularly through digital learning tools, screen-reading software and other assistive devices.
However, access to these technologies, quality education and financial support remains critical to ensuring that blind students can participate fully in society and compete for opportunities on equal terms.
