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Abdullahi Ganduje, the immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress and former Kano State Governor, has urged governors in Northern Nigeria to invest in persons with disabilities to reduce the menace of begging in the region.
Ganduje made the call Friday at an event in Abuja.
According to him, with adequate investment in technological gadgets, education is now easier for those with special needs in society, and they could become more useful to themselves and society.
The event brought together experts in disability education, federal and state government officials, staff, alumni, and students of Tudun Maliki Special School, Kano, with a keynote speech from the vice principal of the school, Ibrahim Abdukabir, on the impact of the Let’s Talk Humanity Initiative.
He noted if governors and other stakeholders adopt the approach of human investment, there’s no doubt there will be a big change in our society.
“Yes, they are neglected because they are physically challenged. This has affected their psyche and motivation, and they cannot even think they are human beings like other beings, but unveiling this kind of program, we are making them to be like any other human being in our society.
“Finally, I urge those in authority and development partners to make a great change; it’s fishing. Those physically challenged can’t stop begging. They can develop to the extent that they can even be employers of labor. They can develop to the extent that they can be geniuses in various fields of endeavors.”
On his part, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Dr Bernard Doro emphasized that society must bear in mind that before a program or device is designed, the people living with disabilities should be considered.
“When we develop assisted devices or technology in general, this has to be done with people living with disabilities in mind.
In her speech, the founder of Let’s Talk Humanity, Fatima Ganduje Abiola-Ajumobi, stressed that empowering PWDs is key to societal development.
Invest in PWDs to reduce begging in Nigeria — Ganduje tells Northern governors
