FNSB to Commercialise Production, Sale of Arts and Crafts

Martins Ifijeh

The management of Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind (FNSB) has said it would henceforth commercialise production and sale of arts and craft as well as ensure sustainability of the funding of the society and its vocational training centre.

The Chairman, Executive Council of FNSB, Folasade Adefisayo stated this at the 61st Annual General Meeting of the society held recently in Lagos.
According to Adefisayo, a committee was put in place towards achieving the new goal by preparing a business plan which will be presented to council for discussion and ratification.

She said: “We are developing a five-year budget that would guide council’s operations and ensure short- and long-term focus and financial sustainability.

“A committee was set up to suggest various strategies for building up the advocacy function of the society in line with the vision to make life comfortable for every blind person,” she said.

While speaking on the vocational training centre, which is a flagship programme of the society, Adefisayo said the centre board was focusing on making significant improvements on the management of the centre.

According to her, a review of the curriculum and improvement in teaching and learning was undertaken, adding that the board was working on the entrepreneurship curriculum in collaboration with a nongovernmental organisation, Fate Foundation.

“They have also started engaging with the British Council in the modernisation of the curriculum and recently, two members of staff attended the British Council training programme on integrating essential 21st century skills into the curriculum,” said Folasade.

Furthermore, Folasade said Kehinde Danmole Foundation in collaboration with Australian Embassy donated a Resource Room equipped with 20 typewriters, 10 Braille Machines and 10 laptops and 10 earpieces for computer training in the centre.

Similarly, the Lagos State Scholarship Board donated N4.9million for 2018 as school fees subvention/support to FNSB.