The Bauchi State Agency for People Living with Disabilities (PLWD) says it will revive six moribund workshops for visually-challenged persons for inclusive governance and empowerment.
Bauchi State has six of such workshops in Bauchi, Misau, Katagum, Jama’are, Dass and Ningi Local Government Areas.
Executive Secretary of the agency, Mrs Brisca Aaron, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday that the revival of the workshops would boost entrepreneurship development and generate revenue for the state.
“Government has put all machinery in place to renovate the six centres.
“They were neglected by the last administration. The centres need modern equipment and the one in Dass has to be reconstructed,’’ she said.
Aaron said the agency would also equip the centres optimally to meet standard requirements for modern production.
She said the agency intended to introduce annual trade fairs for PLWDs in the state numbering about 23,500 as at 2014.
The executive secretary also told NAN that a new exercise would be scheduled for proper planning and interventions for PWDs in the state.
Aaron said that the state registered 24 students with special needs for the 2021/2022 university matriculation examination in the state.
She said government had also sponsored six persons with visual challenges to the Lagos Training School for the Blind for a one-year course and supported them with monthly stipends of N10,000 each.
“Six visually-challenged persons are currently in Lagos State for one-year training in modern goods production with complete sponsorship that includes accommodation, feeding, training fee and N10,000 as monthly stipends,’’ Aaron said. (NAN)