Mr. Hassan Mohammed, Supervisor, Visually Impaired Workshop, Bauchi, has urged the state government to provide modern equipment to the facility to enhance its operations.
Mohammed also called for recruitment of additional personnel to fast track skills acquisition training for People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), to provide alternative means of livelihood and reduce street begging.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Bauchi.
According to him, provision of modern equipment and raw materials will provide job opportunities to the blinds, encourage production and contribute to the state revenue.
He said the workshop has the capacity to produce furniture, mats, door mats, pillows and other household products.
“The visually impaired workshop is a unique place where all the blinds produce various items including traditional curtains for the royals.
“It is good for the government to fund the workshop to enable it to contribute to the revenue generation through various crafts and products.
“We produce mats, door mats, rubber chairs, detergents, ropes and other things.”
Mohammed said that lack of equipment was militating against its effective operation in spite of high patronage of the products.
“People patronize our products in view of its high quality.
“However, we have shortage of staff, only 19 personnel are currently working in the workshop as against 50,” he said.
Also commenting, Mr. Abubakar Umar, Chairman, Blinds Association of Nigeria, Bauchi State chapter, expressed concern over spate of unemployment among its members.
Umar said that about 307 visually impaired persons drawn from 20 local government areas of the state were trained in various institutions across the country.
“Our members have the skills, however, they are not not utilizing the acquired skills.
“Assuming all them are engage in production, you can imagine the quantity and markets for the goods,” he said.
Umar urged development organizations, private sector and philanthropists to support government towards reducing unemployment among people with disabilities. (NAN)
