Disabled Entrepreneurs Seek Support

National Association of Nigerian Disabled Traders and Farmers (NANDTF) affiliated to the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has called on governments at all levels to assist the disabled source funds for their businesses.

The National Cooordinator of the association, Ojo Olujimi Akande, made the call at a seminar held in Lagos.

Speaking on the theme of the seminar which is ‘The Role Of Banks And Financial Institutions In Uplifting Disabled Entrepreneurs’, Akande said the seminar was conceived to find solutions to the problems faced by entrepreneurs with disabilities in Nigeria.

“We want to ensure that persons with disabilities are successful in their endeavours and to eliminate begging and destitution in the society. We want them to be able to access funds, support and incentives and for them to showcase ability in disability.

“We want to influence the society and ensure that good laws are passed to alleviate the pitiable plight of persons with disability, especially those doing business,” he stated.

Akande blamed the inability of the disabled to contribute their quota to the economic development of the society on the challenges and problems facing them.

He also identified lack  of education, illiteracy, lack of government support and exclusion as some of the other factors militating against the performance of the disabled in business.

In his own speech, the President, Lagos State Chapter of Persons with Disabilities Cooperative Multipurpose Society and Accident Victims Support, Engineer Vilus Nwanafio, lauded the signing into law of the disability bill but called for its full implementation.

“We want full implementation of the law. We are not begging. What everybody can do, we can also do them. People with disability are on the lowest rung of the ladder in Nigeria. This should not be so. The society should help us to move forward by abolishing discriminations in the granting of loans by banks,” he submitted.

—Oluremi Osobu-Asubiojo