People with disabilities (PWDs) are entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, artisans, and technicians among others, and they have continued to demonstrate capability despite their conditions. According to the World Health Organization, there are about one billion disabled people globally, accounting for about 14 percent of the world’s population estimated at 7.9 billion.
The World Health Organization 2011 World Disability Report put the number of Nigerians with disabilities between 25 million and 27 million. While available data may not show the precise number of PWDs in Nigeria, data point from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, revealed that an estimated seven percent of household members above the age of five (as well as 9% of those above 60 years) experience some form of difficulty in at least one functional domain.
PWDs are often excluded from access to economic opportunities even as they face discrimination from employers. A study conducted by Leprosy Mission Nigeria a few years ago showed that of the 1, 093 PWDs surveyed, 61 percent had no job. This affirms the fact that working-age PWDs tend to experience significantly lower employment rates and much higher unemployment rates compared to people with no disability.
One of their biggest obstacles is the stigma surrounding their disability which excludes them socially and economically. Due to this stigma, the unemployment rate among PWDs significantly exceeds the general unemployment rate.
It is no news that PWDs are disadvantaged in the labour market. The system in Nigeria subconsciously deprioritizes the value of employment for many disadvantaged groups. For instance, many lenders wrongly perceive people with disabilities to be at high risk for loans.
Similarly, misconceptions about the ability of PWDs to perform jobs is important reasons both for their continued unemployment and if-employed for their exclusion from opportunities in their career.
Enhancing capacity of PWDs via intervention support
One of the core values of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund is inclusion, which invariably means that no one should be neglected or denied access to opportunities.
The Fund is committed to supporting PWDs via its numerous intervention mechanisms to help PWDs actualize their dreams, harness their underutilized skills, and make them more economically functional.
Available opportunities provided by LSETF for PWDs include:
- Entrepreneurship Loan Program: This intervention is aimed at providing affordable finance to aspiring and intending business owners in Lagos. The program is open to PWDs in need of start-up capital (to set up a new enterprise) or working capital (to meet short-term obligations). The loan comes at a low interest rate of nine percent (9%), which is significantly below-market interest rates for business loans. Providing access to funding opportunities is critical in encouraging entrepreneurship among PWDs.
- Skills Development Training: Education and training are pivotal to decent work but PWDs often lack access to formal education or the opportunity to develop their skills and this contributes to their exclusion from the labour market. Through the employability training program, LSETF is committed to reducing the unemployment rate, particularly among youth in (including PWDs) in Lagos State. This program gives access to training opportunities in various trades (such as software engineering, plumbing, garment making) combined with placement opportunities in strategic sectors within the state.
- Technology: The 21st century is an era of technology. New trends are being created and new technologies are being introduced to provide solutions. The Lagos innovates program provides access to high-quality infrastructure, learning, capital, and network for both male and female-owned start-ups. The program creates a platform where PWDs with tech-driven solutions can be supported from ideation to minimum viable product (MVP).
Concluding Thoughts
The talent pool among PWDs is currently being underutilized, causing significant economic losses. By providing and promoting access to business and employment opportunities, most PWDs can be more productive.
