Ekiti State has taken a bold step towards inclusivity with the inauguration of its first free public therapy centre for children with disabilities. The event which held on Monday at the Old Governor’s office in Ado Ekiti saw the attendance of the Ekiti State Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, who has been a relentless advocate for disability rights.
Premium Trust Bank CEO/MD Mr Emmanuel Emefienem the donor of the centre and top government functionaries.
Mrs. Adetoun Agboola, Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, expressed profound gratitude to Governor Oyebanji for his unwavering support and dedication to the welfare of people with disabilities. She also extended sincere thanks to Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, CEO of Premium Trust Bank, for the bank’s generous contributions, which were pivotal in bringing the project to fruition.
During her speech,she maintained that the state-of-the-art therapy centre is fully equipped with advanced therapeutic and learning materials, offering services such as speech, occupational, physiotherapy, and educational therapy—all free of charge.
Speaking further she noted that the facility is designed to be fully accessible, in compliance with the Ekiti State 2020 Disability Act, ensuring inclusivity for all users.
Mrs. Agboola outlined the centre’s ambitious goal to transition 95%-100% of children into regular schools after two years of therapy. She emphasized that only a small fraction might require referral to the Government Special School in Ido, highlighting the significant potential for integration and development.
Urging parents to make the most of the centre’s free services, Mrs. Agboola stressed the importance of their involvement in their children’s therapy and follow-up activities. She noted that therapy costs, which typically range from 5,000 to 50,000 Naira per hour, are provided at no cost at the centre, lifting a heavy financial burden from families.
Mrs. Agboola also appealed for additional support to further enhance the centre’s offerings, such as providing daily meals for the children and establishing a bus service to facilitate attendance. She highlighted the need for a pool buses to help monitor the centre’s operations across multiple locations and ease mobility for the children.
Commending the selfless gesture of the Premium Trust Bank CEO/MD Mr Emmanuel Emefienem, Mrs Agboola emphasized the opening of the therapy centre as a testament to the power of public and private sector collaboration and described the donor and his company – Premium Trust Bank as indeed one that can be trusted not only in terms of banking activities alone but trusted in driving inclusivity.
Mrs. Agboola expressed her gratitude to all partners and stakeholders involved in the landmark initiative and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting the disability community in Ekiti State.
