An advocacy group, the Vulnerable People Support and Development Initiative (V-PeSDI), has faulted the Kano State Government’s approach to disability inclusion and called for the urgent establishment of a Disability Commission to strengthen support for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The call was made in a statement issued on Wednesday by the organisation’s Deputy Coordinator, Mr. Aftahana Dahiru Sarina, as part of activities marking the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Sarina said development in the state would remain slow if PWDs continued to face persistent barriers to essential services.
“Kano cannot achieve meaningful social progress if persons with disabilities continue to face discrimination, poverty, limited access to services, inadequate employment opportunities, and systemic exclusion,” he said.
He urged the government to adopt United Nations–recommended frameworks to improve accessibility and promote socio-economic inclusion.
“We call on the state government to prioritise disability-inclusive policies that guarantee access to education, employment, healthcare, digital services, and full political participation,” he added.
According to V-PeSDI, areas requiring urgent attention include poverty reduction, inclusive employment, accessible public infrastructure, social integration, and improved access to assistive devices. The organisation also stressed the need for adequate representation of PWDs in policy formulation and decision-making.
Sarina further called on authorities to mainstream disability inclusion across ministries, adopt universal design standards, strengthen disability-related data, and increase investment in inclusive education and assistive technology. He added that stronger collaboration with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities was key to achieving sustainable progress.
Meanwhile, V-PeSDI commended the state government for ongoing initiatives targeted at vulnerable groups. It noted the efforts of the Ministry of Women, Children and Persons with Special Needs, led by Hajiya Amina Sani HOD, in partnership with the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), which recently enrolled thousands of PWDs into the free state health insurance scheme.
The organisation described the gesture as “a positive step toward improving access to healthcare and reducing the financial burden on persons with disabilities.”
