The Senior Special Assistant to Katsina State Governor on Disability Matters, Lieutenant Hudu Usman (rtd), has disclosed that over 600 individuals suffering from spinal cord injuries have been identified across the state.
Lt. Usman, a former naval officer who sustained a spinal cord injury during military service, shared this during an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP, where he also revealed that more than 30,000 persons with disabilities have been registered by his office—despite the absence of any legal framework to protect their rights in the state.
After returning from a military-sponsored treatment in Germany, Usman founded the Katsina Chapter of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria. He said the initiative was inspired by the widespread neglect he witnessed among spinal cord injury survivors, many of whom were misunderstood, abandoned, or left to traditional treatments.
“Many were dying in silence—neglected, stigmatised, or treated as if their condition was a spiritual curse,” he said.
Using his personal resources, including his private vehicle, Usman combed urban and rural communities across Katsina to identify and register over 600 spinal cord injury patients, facilitating hospital referrals and basic care for many. His commitment caught the attention of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, who appointed him to champion disability affairs in the state.
However, Usman expressed deep frustration over the lack of a domesticated disability law in Katsina, which has left his work under-resourced and structurally unsupported. He lamented that, despite the passage of the National Disability Act in 2018, Katsina is yet to pass its own version.
“We’re working without a structure or dedicated budget. I spend my days submitting memos and begging for inclusion in ministry budgets. It’s exhausting and inefficient,” he said.
So far, his office has documented data on over 30,000 persons with various disabilities—including those who are blind, deaf, or physically impaired—but efforts to provide lasting support remain constrained by the lack of a legal framework.
Lt. Usman stressed the importance of passing the state disability bill, currently pending at the House of Assembly. According to him, its passage would enable the establishment of a State Disability Commission, provide for structured funding, and deliver comprehensive support systems for persons with disabilities.
In the absence of formal interventions, Usman has pushed for the inclusion of people with disabilities in government empowerment programmes, ensuring they receive vocational tools and training kits—and personally monitoring their progress to promote sustainability.
He called on religious leaders, philanthropists, and civil society actors to move beyond one-time charity and instead offer sustained, structured support aligned with government efforts.
“Their condition is one of the most isolating and expensive to manage. Sympathy is not enough—they need real help, protection, and policy,” he said.
Looking ahead, Lt. Usman believes Katsina can become a model for disability inclusion in Nigeria—but only if urgent legislative action is taken.
“We want a Katsina where persons with disabilities are not beggars, but leaders, professors, and policymakers. We have the people and the passion. Now, we need the law.”
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