Inclusion: Monroe investments in people with disabilities will reduce panhandling, Ganduje tells governors

Former Kano State Governor and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has called on governors, development partners and philanthropists to invest more in people with physical disabilities to reduce begging in Northern Nigeria.

Ganduje believes that with more investment in technological gadgets, education is now easier for people with special needs in the society and they could become more useful to themselves and society instead of begging.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja during the premiere of the documentary on the 10th year of Let’s Talk Humanity (LTH), an organization that caters to the educational needs of the deaf and blind, Ganduje decried the neglect of so many disabled people in northern Nigeria, leading to a host of beggars.

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 by the school’s Deputy Principal, Ibrahim Abdukabir, on the impact of the Let’s Talk Humanity initiative.

According to the former governor, in the north of the country, people with disabilities are relegated to the background. That is why we have a host of beggars all over the northern part of this country day and night. Some sleep under the bridges, some sleep on the streets, this is a sad story but looking at what we have seen this afternoon, you can see that there is a silent revolution if what we have seen could be adopted by our executive governors, development partners and various philanthropists, there is no doubt that there will be a great change in our society.

“Yes, they are neglected because they are physically disabled. This has affected their psyche, their motivation and they can’t even think of being human beings like other beings, but by unveiling this kind of program we are making them become like any other human beings in our society.

“Finally, I urge those in authority and development partners to make a big change, this is fishing. Those who are physically disabled. They can’t stop begging. They can develop to the point where they can even be employers of labor. They can develop to the point where they can be brilliant in various fields of endeavor.”

Ganduje, who is the biological father of the founder of Let’s Talk Humanity (LTH), said he knew since Fatima was little that she would make an impact in society.

He praised the initiative and called on various government authorities and development partners to invest more in the development of people with special needs in society.

Also speaking, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, who praised the initial, stressed that society must keep in mind that before designing a program or device, people living with disabilities should be considered.

According to the minister, the inclusion of people with special needs is not an option but an obligation.

“When we develop assistive devices or technologies in general, we must do so with people living with disabilities in mind.

“You don’t expect to do that before you start adapting it for people’s use, and I think that’s an important point to make. We need to move towards a future where accessibility is by design, moving from retrofitting tools to building universal platforms, digital needs to be the priority here, technology should allow people to navigate the world on their own terms,” ​​the Minister said.

In her speech, Let’s Talk Humanity founder, Fatima Ganduje Abiola-Ajumobi, said her organization is empowering one thousand beneficiaries every year from 2027.

“Seeing the faces of Tudun Maliki alumni, staff members and supporters here today takes me back to the beginning of 10 years ago, when you entrusted me with something so important: the future of your education and the possibility of change through technology.”

While inviting partners, supporters and people willing to move from intention to action, Fatima expressed optimism that the organization will positively impact more lives in the years to come.

He said: “Our projection for the next 19 years is to be able to have a national centre, a National Resource Center for people with sensory disabilities, to be able to draw on the international knowledge and the international resources that are available in parts of the world that are much more developed than us when it comes to special needs.”