By Shakirudeen Bankole
As part of efforts to promote Inclusive Economy amongst all citizens of the country, Sightsavers Africa, in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), has trained and graduated 100 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) on soft and employability skills.
After three months of intense skill acquisition sessions, anchored by renowned experts, the beneficiaries, who were drawn from across Lagos, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory-Abuja, obtained their certificates of mastery in areas such as Computer Hardware Repairs and Maintenance, Phone Repairs, Photography, Catering and Event Management, among others.
The beneficiaries were drawn from PWDs’ groups ranging from Sight Impairment, Deafness, Crippling and Albinism.
At the graduation ceremony in Abuja over the weekend, the Country Director for Sightsavers Nigeria and Ghana, Dr. Sunday Isiyaku, said the intervention ultimately aimed at elevating the status of PWDs from mere object of ridicule and pity, to a competitive economic asset through continuous acquisition of competitive skills that would make them contribute substantially to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to him, “they are already aware, having competitive skills and or education is a lifeline for them. Everything else depends on it – their health, sustenance, family, and ultimately the realization of their dreams. And that is why they are so passionate. We saw the zeal and dedication exhibited by them in Lagos, Kano and now in Abuja. And that is why we are more than excited to be on this project.”
Corroborating the Country Director, the Programme Officer, Razaq Adekoya said, while life is ordinarily hard for unskilled or uneducated people, it is much harder for persons with disabilities.
He said this is so because the Nigerian Labour Market is not Disability Inclusive, hence the necessity to go all out to empower this class of people with competitive skills, education and craftmanship to become employers of labour and contributors to the country’s GDP.
“Our intention is to ensure that the trainees have access to important skills and financial supports to be able to be productive for themselves and contribute to the economy of the country,” Razaq added.
Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Louis Auta, President, Network of Disable Women in Nigeria, represented by one Mrs Zainab Yusuf, said that “the importance of entrepreneurship and skill acquisition can not be over emphasized, as statistics have shown that people with disabilities falls within the category of the poorest of the poor of the.
“Most of us are intelligent, gifted, and even well educated, but getting a lucrative job has become a challenge because, first, lack of employment and second, because of societal stigmatization of our condition,” she added.
Speaking with this report, one of the beneficiaries, Mr. Okoye Vincent Chinedu, who graduated from the Computer Hardware Repairs and Maintenance, said the skill acquisition programme for him, is very helpful.
“I actually love IT. And the training and skilled acquired from it, has opened up to the possibilities of my passion and how I can productively convert the skill to earning a living. I am more excited about the certificate, which now project me more strategically and attractive to employment,” Chinedu said. The beneficiary is an albino and said he had faced multiple discrimination because of his condition.
