The Ekiti State Government has empowered 100 persons with disabilities (PWDs) with trade and work tools following their graduation from a vocational skills acquisition programme aimed at promoting self-reliance and economic inclusion.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji said his administration had continued to improve the wellbeing of PWDs through inclusive governance and programmes designed to ensure that every citizen has access to opportunities, irrespective of physical condition, background or social status.
Oyebanji, represented by his Chief of Staff, Oyeniyi Adebayo, stated this on Saturday in Ado Ekiti during the graduation and empowerment ceremony held at the Skills Acquisition Centre for PWDs.
The programme, organised by the Office of Disability Affairs in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, equipped beneficiaries with vocational skills in areas including Information and Communication Technology, tailoring, hairdressing, shoemaking, catering and hospitality.
Following the training, the beneficiaries received start-up equipment such as sewing machines, salon and hairdressing equipment, shoemaking machines and tools, ICT equipment, as well as catering and hospitality items to enable them to commence work and establish their own businesses.
The governor said the empowerment was designed to help the beneficiaries translate their newly acquired skills into sustainable livelihoods, adding that his administration remained committed to creating a society where PWDs could access opportunities, acquire relevant skills and contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.
“By combining vocational training with the provision of startup equipment, the programme seeks to promote independence, encourage entrepreneurship and ensure that PWDs are active participants in the state’s economic and social development,” Oyebanji said.
He urged the graduands to make effective use of the skills and equipment provided, while remaining focused, committed and determined to succeed.
Earlier, the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Adetoun Agboola, said the programme had recorded steady growth since its inception, rising from 30 participants in 2023 to 40 in 2024, 60 in 2025 and 100 beneficiaries in 2026.
Agboola attributed the expansion to the Oyebanji administration’s commitment to creating opportunities for PWDs, stressing that the growth reflected the government’s belief that “disability is not inability.”
She said the 2026 edition was particularly significant because 10 of the 100 beneficiaries were parents of children with severe disabilities who had been unable to pursue meaningful economic activities due to the round-the-clock care required by their children.
According to her, the establishment of the EKSG Therapy Centre for Children with Disabilities had helped change the situation by providing a safe and professional environment where children could receive therapy and care.
She added that the development had enabled their parents, particularly mothers, to acquire vocational skills, engage in economic activities and earn a livelihood while their children received the necessary support from the government.
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