About Us — Festus Fajemilo Foundation
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Founded 2006 · Lagos, Nigeria · CAC/IT/NO. 24051

Born from Love.
Built on Hope & Inclusion.

What began as one family's desperate search to save a baby's life has grown into Nigeria's leading champion for the rights and dignity of every person living with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

Our Story → Annual Reports
2004
Festus Born
2008
Parents Group Founded
2006
FFF Incorporated
5,000+
Lives Impacted
Mr. Fajemilo Fajemilo, Founder & Executive Director
FFF community event
18+
Years of
Service
Registered Non-Profit CAC/IT/NO. 24051
Section 1.1 — Background
"
The discovery of several other children with similar impairments prompted Festus's parents to initiate a self-funded Parents Support Group — and from that, a foundation was born.
— FFF Strategic Plan, Background
2004
Baby Festus is born — diagnosed with hydrocephalus, with no access to treatment or support in Nigeria.
2008
Self-funded Parents Support Group initiated by Mr. and Mrs. Fajemilo — the spark that became FFF.
2006
FFF formally incorporated as a disability-focused not-for-profit organisation under Nigerian law.
Now
Strategic repositioning underway — redefining vision, mission, and goals to serve more families across Nigeria and beyond.

One Baby. One Family. A Movement.

The Festus Fajemilo Foundation started as an initiative towards a very passionate drive to save the life of the then baby Festus — born in the year 2004 to Mr. and Mrs. Fajemilo and diagnosed to have hydrocephalus with no access to treatment and support.

The discovery of several other children with similar impairments prompted Festus's parents to initiate a self-funded Parents Support Group in 2008, which evolved into the incorporation of FFF as a formal not-for-profit disability-focused organisation.

As the Foundation identified, engaged, and provided support to more children with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (SBH) and their families in Lagos State and beyond, the need to strengthen the human and institutional capacity of the Foundation became more imminent.

The demand for more advocacy, raising of public awareness, capacity-building of stakeholders, and provision of support services to children and their families required more financial, human, material, and technical resources — which could only be achieved through the strategic repositioning of the Foundation to become a trusted leading champion for advocacy and support service provision for children and adults with SBH in Nigeria and beyond.

FFF awareness programme
FFF Awareness & Advocacy in Action Reaching families across Lagos State and beyond since 2006
Mr. Afolabi Fajemilo
Our Founder

The couple Behind the Mission

Mr & Mrs Afolabi Fajemilo
Founder & Executive Director · Festus Fajemilo Foundation

Mr. Afolabi Fajemilo and his wife transformed the most painful period of their lives — the search for treatment for their son Festus — into a gift for thousands of other Nigerian families navigating the same impossible road.

Their decision to channel private grief into public action, beginning with a self-funded parents support group in 2008, is the foundation upon which everything FFF has built now rests. Under his leadership, FFF has become one of Nigeria's most respected disability-focused organisations.

"No one living with a disability in Nigeria should face their challenges alone. We exist to walk with them — every step of the way."

What Drives Us

Mission, Vision & Core Commitments

Every decision, programme, and partnership at FFF is guided by a clear sense of purpose — shaped by years of listening to the families we serve.

01

Our Mission

To promote the rights, dignity, and inclusion of persons living with Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus, and all forms of disability in Nigeria — through medical support, advocacy, education, and community development programmes that create lasting change.

02

Our Vision

A Nigeria — and ultimately an Africa — where every person living with a disability enjoys equal rights, access to quality healthcare, educational opportunity, and full participation in all aspects of social and economic life.

03

Our Commitment

We commit to serving our beneficiaries with compassion, integrity, and excellence — ensuring that every naira donated, every volunteer hour given, and every partnership forged translates into real, lasting change for real people across Nigeria.

🤝 Inclusion
⚖️ Dignity & Rights
💙 Compassion
🌱 Empowerment
🔬 Excellence
🌍 Collaboration
📊 Accountability
Strategic Plan

Repositioning for Greater Impact

FFF's strategic plan redefines its vision, mission, and goals to align with current realities — and positions the Foundation to serve more families, more effectively, across Nigeria and beyond.

Monitor, Evaluate & Improve

FFF's strategic plan uncovers systematic ways to monitor, evaluate, and continuously improve the performance and impact of every programme it runs — ensuring resources produce real results for beneficiaries.

Expand to Underserved Areas

The Foundation is actively expanding its operations beyond Lagos State into under-served jurisdictions across Nigeria — reaching families who have never had access to SBH support, advocacy, or medical referrals.

Contemporary Ethics & Governance

FFF's strategic repositioning sparks insights on contemporary ideas, ethics, and good practices in prudent resource management — building trust with donors, government, and partner organisations alike.

Mobilise Resources for Impact

The strategic plan strengthens FFF's capacity to mobilise the financial, human, material, and technical resources needed to meet growing demand — solving new and emerging problems while seizing opportunities for sustained development.

Our Journey

18 Years of Building Inclusion

From a father and mother's desperate search for help, to a trusted national organisation serving thousands — the FFF story is one of love, determination, and unstoppable purpose.

2004
The Beginning

Baby Festus is Born

Mr. and Mrs. Fajemilo's son Festus is born and diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Facing no access to treatment or support in Nigeria, the family begins a journey that will change thousands of lives.

2006
Foundation

Festus Fajemilo Foundation Incorporated

FFF is formally registered in Lagos, Nigeria (CAC/IT/NO. 24051) as a disability-focused not-for-profit — beginning community awareness events and direct family outreach across Lagos State.

2008
Community

Self-Funded Parents Support Group Launched

Recognising that many other families faced the same isolation, Mr. and Mrs. Fajemilo initiate a self-funded Parents Support Group — the immediate precursor to the formal Foundation and a testament to community-driven action.

2009
Programmes

Child Development & Enabling Environment Programme

FFF launches its long-running Child Development programme, beginning systematic empowerment work for children with disabilities in Lagos — including the Badagry Area initiative.

2010
Global

SBHI International Membership

FFF joins the Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus International (SBHI) network and the Liliane Foundation — bringing international expertise, solidarity, and resources to Nigerian families for the first time.

2013
Advocacy

National SBH Day Established

FFF launches the annual Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Day in Nigeria — a national platform for awareness, stigma reduction, and community solidarity for all SBH-affected families.

2015
Milestone

Save-A-Life Initiative (SALI) Launched

SALI provides critical surgical funding for children with SBH whose families cannot afford life-saving treatment — directly intervening to save hundreds of lives across Nigeria.

2019
Education

Inclusive Education Project Launched

FFF begins its partnership with Liliane Foundation Netherlands to improve inclusive education across all 44 public inclusive schools in Lagos State through the cooperative teaching model.

2020
Wellbeing

RIRE Mental Health Initiative

Recognising the psychological toll of living with disability, FFF launches RIRE — a dedicated mental health and rehabilitation programme for beneficiaries and their families across Nigeria.

Now
Present Day

5,000+ Lives Impacted — Strategic Repositioning Underway

FFF has directly impacted over 5,000 Nigerians living with disability. The Foundation now embarks on its strategic plan — redefining its vision, expanding geographically, and strengthening capacity to mobilise all needed resources for sustained development and impact.

5,000+
Lives Impacted
18+
Years of Service
12+
Active Programmes
5
Global Partners
36
States Reached
Our People

The Team Behind Every Impact

From our Board of Trustees to our programme officers and field volunteers — every member of the FFF family plays a vital role in advancing our mission across Nigeria.

Afolabi Fajemilo
Mr & Mrs Afolabi Fajemilo
Founder & Executive Director
Disability rights activist and social entrepreneur with over 18 years leading FFF's mission across Nigeria and beyond.
Programme Director
Programmes & Operations
Oversees FFF's medical support, SALI, and community outreach programmes, ensuring quality delivery across all initiatives.
Advocacy Lead
Policy & Advocacy
Drives FFF's engagement with government bodies, international partners, and media to advance disability rights legislation.
Medical Coordinator
Health Programmes
Coordinates FFF's network of volunteer healthcare professionals and manages clinical partnerships and surgical referrals.
Board of Trustees → Volunteer With Us
Join Our Mission

Together We Can Make Every Life Flourish.

Whether you donate, volunteer your skills, or spread awareness — your contribution becomes part of a larger story of dignity and inclusion for thousands of Nigerians living with disability.

Donate Now → Volunteer → Become a Partner

Trusted Partners & Members

TLMN
FSBH International
Hydrocephalus Association
Liliane Foundation
SHINE Charity UK
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