People with disabilities can contribute to Nigerian economy

The United States African Development Foundation has said that people with disabilities in Nigeria can contribute immensely to the economy.

President of USADF, Ms Shari Berenbach, who said this during a tour of Children Development Centre, Surulere, Lagos on Wednesday, said the organisation found a need to support children with disabilities as a way of preparing them for a future where they would be economically useful in the society.

USADF, an organisation focused on the economic development of marginalised people in African, supports two centres in Nigeria, one of which is CDC. The organisation aims to develop skills that will enable children with disabilities to contribute to the economy.

Berenbach, who praised CDC’s programmes for the children and adolescents with disabilities under its service, said it is good the centre also found a way to sustain itself.

She said, “USADF is not so much on charity or taking care of the poor. But it is more concerned with helping people with all kinds of disabilities and people from different communities to have a bright economic prospect.

“What people need is human attention. In our society, whether in the US or Nigeria, we have to think of a future where everyone can contribute whether you have a disability at birth or whether you have one that occurred later.

“People have to find different ways of creating economic wellbeing.

Our focus is to show that people with disabilities can learn, provide services and develop skills and contribute economically. We should have certain amount of confidence and aspiration for our people whether they have disabilities or not.