“Keep hope alive; hopelessness blinds you to opportunities around”
Welcome to the 19th series of Champions on the Disability honour roll. We feature Akeem Ayinde-Lawal, a blind IT expert, entrepreneur and civil servant with the Kwara state government. Akeem is, amongst others, a disability rights advocate, Chairperson, Nigeria Association of the Blind and Youth Leader, Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), both Kwara state chapter.
In a compelling narrative over the phone, Akeem shares his lived experience with blindness.
His story, framed around hope, resilience and determination, echoes the belief that disability serves a purpose. As he puts it when I ask a pivotal question of this series (How do you see disability?):
“My perception of [my] disability is that it is predetermined and not an accident or mistake. I believe that God was intentional about it, and it serves a purpose”.
Akeem discovered and is living out that purpose after a comeback from the mysterious illness that took him near death’s door and robbed him of sight.
Growing up (Family was the centre of love and care)
Akeem says he was born in the bustling city of Lagos some four decades ago. It was a low-income yet loving and caring home. The family’s financial status notwithstanding, he had a joyous childhood with all the loving support normal for any child. He had the priceless privilege of being an amazing father as we see further down.
“For the first two decades of my life, I revelled in the simple pleasures that life offered. I loved playing video games, table tennis, and my absolute favourite – snooker. I never imagined that my life could change so drastically in an instant.”
In 2003, while in his fifth year of high school, young Akeem (at that time 19 years old or thereabouts) sat for the Senior School Certificate Examination and UTME. He was successful and got admission into the University of Ilorin to study Banking and Finance. Life looked on a promising path.
Then life happens… I found myself praying to die
He still remembers the year, 2005. One evening in September, an unexpected turn of events altered the trajectory of a budding and smooth sailing life voyage of Akeem’s narration of the incident evokes strong emotions of tortuous pain:
“That September evening of 2005, I came a bit under the weather and went to a nearby pharmacy to get some OTC cold drugs. The next morning, I woke with reddened eyes, swollen lips, and an overwhelming fatigue. Alarmed, I rushed to Lagos for proper treatment. The ensuing hospital admission (almost a month) was the most excruciating period of my life. I endured severe pains, with my body reacting violently. My skin peeled off as if I had been in a fire accident. All of my finger and toenails detached. The [puzzled] doctors were divided in their diagnosis—some suspected an allergy while others thought it was measles—they all agreed that my body was undergoing a severe systemic reaction. The pain was so unbearable that I found myself praying for death. I overheard a doctor telling my father’s colleague, “In my 25 years of service, I have never seen such a severe case.”… I thought my days were numbered.
The Irony of recovery and blindness!
Against the odds, Akeem began to recover. It was gradual – like an eternity. Then it was time to be discharged.
He recollects the aftermath in the following words:
“The hospital ordeal left permanent scars —my eyes could no longer tolerate light, I seemed to be staring at a thousand-watt incandescent bulb. When it became apparent that my vision was deteriorating, we sought medical help. Despite multiple surgeries and treatments, my sight worsened day by day. When I summoned the courage to ask the doctor about my chances of seeing again, he said there was little hope. Desperate, we sought another medical facility. Here, the doctor seemed to use me as an experiment with the interns. After numerous appointments, we had to accept my blindness as God’s will”.
At a crossroads, a father’s sacrifice… determining for independence
The young man was now at life’s crossroads. There was the constant thinking of what life held in the world of darkness. What means of livelihood without resorting to begging? Deserted by friends, except for two, Hammed Ishola and Yusuf Gawattah. Akeem recalls how he spent two years at home with his radio as his closest companion. However, the sacrificial love of a father proved pivotal around this period.
“My loving and caring father resigned from his job to avoid leaving me alone at home, was a tremendous support. His unprecedented love, concern, and passion for my well-being during those challenging times were invaluable.”
Still, with eyes on the road ahead, Akeem knew that parents wouldn’t be around forever. The imperative for financial independence remained a priority.
Venturing on the entrepreneurial pathway
His determination to make a living drove him to adapt ways of leveraging previous experience dealing with fairly used phones. The initiative was to contact customers to whom he resold the phones with the help of childhood friends. He made profits slowly and, in time expanded the business to include hiring out tricycles. From tricycles, he transitioned to buying buses which he gave out on hire purchase agreements.
‘Ireti Ayo’…path to rehabilitation
“Hope is the light that guides through the darkness”
One bright Sunday morning, while listening to his good, old companion – a portable radio set, Akeem stumbled on Ireti Ayo (translates as Good Hope) an on-air program featuring individuals with disabilities sharing their experiences. From the narratives, he learned that people with blindness could pursue education and various trades. A beacon of hope dawned at that moment.
He recalls: “I quickly memorized the presenter’s phone number and called him shortly after the program. This call guided me to the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind in Oshodi, Lagos. There, my rehabilitation began”.
Academic Upswing…He stoops to conquer
The resultant effect of rehabilitation was renewed hope and ambition. Undeterred by having to start over, Akeem resits UTME and was admitted into the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo – a crucial step forward, as he calls it.
Was the journey smooth? No!
In a college renowned as the only Special College of Education in Sub-sahara Africa, Akeem recalls facing challenges [not unrelated to accessibility] that almost made him give up. Next was a first degree at the University of Ibadan. He graduated in 2017, ten years behind his expected graduation date from his first admission at the University of Ilorin.
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream” C.S Lewis
Still basking in the euphoria of academic conquest in an inclement setting as Nigeria, he pursued a Master’s degree in Special Education, graduating in 2023.
It’s worth mentioning that this blind man self-financed his first and second degrees with proceeds from his business ventures.
The further disabling scene in Nigeria…Handling discrimination
Adapting to life with a disability is not easy and the situation only gets worse in our type of society where the level of awareness is low, negative perceptions are rife and various [dehumanizing] myths about disabilities and persons with disabilities are the day’s order.
Akeem had his fair share of the hurts.
One awful experience from his student days remains in his memory. A lecturer asked him and other blind students to leave the lecture hall feeling she couldn’t teach them. Akeem declined, insisting he had as much right to be there as any other student. The lecturer threatened to leave the class if he didn’t step out, but Akeem held his ground. Eventually, she backed down and taught the class (both the student and lecturer later became friends). That experience strengthened the young man’s resolve to fight back at discrimination.
But then, he admits:
“Initially, it was very frustrating, but over time, I overcame these challenges and prepared myself to confront any discrimination that came my way. I knew that discrimination would manifest in different forms, but I was always ready to challenge it. This readiness and resilience led me to become an advocate for disability rights, starting from my local community”.
How far? One hilarious encounter
When I mention the humor side of living without sight, Akeem remembers amusing scenario. The provost of the college came calling at the student hostel. “Hello, how are you?”, he greeted Akeem. Not recognizing the voice, the student asked, “Who is that?” By happenstance, the provost bore the same name as a friend of Akeem. And Akeem, mistaking the identity casually responded: “How far?” Quite an amusing mix-up! ‘It became a memorable moment’, Akeem remarked.
Giving back… One good turn for another
Giving is not just about donating, it is about making a difference – unknown
“My blindness does not disturb me; instead, it has given me the opportunity to impact lives through my knowledge of assistive technology devices. I have taught numerous blind individuals basic and intermediate computer skills, and I continue to enjoy doing so” – Akeem
Today, Akeem also hosts Voice of the Disabled, an audience-participatory radio program that discusses various aspects of life for persons with disabilities. The program aims to sensitize the general public about the strengths and inherent abilities of people with disabilities. Through Voice of the Disabled and other platforms, Akeem commits to sharing his story and the wisdom gained. He tells other disabled people to view their disabilities, not as obstacles but as stepping stones to greater heights. ‘Disability is surmountable’, he urges, ‘with hope, determination, and resilience, one can achieve great things’.
I’m glad to see that my disability, far from being a barrier, has become a source of strength and inspiration – Akeem
He seeks to inspire others to draw strength from his story and the stories of others in the disability community who have faced and overcome similar adversities.
Akeem’s favorite quote is: Keep hope alive. “This mindset has helped me navigate the journey with optimism and resilience,” he concludes.
The Disability Champions Series, an initiative of Jibore Foundation, is anchored by Ogheneruemu Alexander (Disability issues blogger).
Special acknowledgement to T.O.L.A Foundation for constant backup support.