Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has approved ₦6.8 million in empowerment support for persons with disabilities and directed the establishment of special skills acquisition classes across the state.
The Governor gave the directive on Thursday during the flag-off of an empowerment support programme for 680 persons with special needs organised by the Dan Amana Solidarity Forum at the Gwagware Foundation Complex in Katsina. He instructed the Ministry of Higher, Vocational and Technical Education and the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV) to open dedicated classes at training centres in Katsina, Daura and Malumfashi.
Governor Radda said the initiative would improve access to vocational training and promote economic independence among persons with disabilities. He further directed the purchase of all products made by the beneficiaries as motivation and ordered the Gwagware Foundation to expand its skills acquisition programmes to accommodate more persons with disabilities across the state.
Earlier, the Director General of the Dan Amana Solidarity Forum, Hajiya Ruqayya Umaru Radda, disclosed that the forum has been supporting persons with special needs for six years, adding that each of the 680 beneficiaries would receive ₦20,000 as start-up capital after completing their training.
Chairman of the Gwagware Foundation, Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Musawa, said the programme marked the 11th empowerment exercise at the centre and announced additional financial support and future empowerment initiatives.
The event featured the distribution of empowerment materials and the commissioning of a newly constructed block of classrooms by the Katsina Contractors Association, and was attended by government officials, foundation management, beneficiaries and other stakeholders in disability empowerment.
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