ENGAUSA Skills Development Foundation on over the weekend joined stakeholders in Kano state to commemorate the 2025 International Day for Persons With Disabilities (IDPD), reaffirming its commitment to inclusive education and technical skills development for vulnerable groups.
The event, brought together disability rights advocates, development organizations, civil society groups, and corporate institutions to push for stronger disability-inclusive policies and practices.
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This year’s edition marked a new phase of engagement for ENGAUSA, as the organization moved beyond sponsorship into direct advocacy, strategic partnerships and institutional participation.
Solacebase reports that the foundation collaborated with key organizations including Nurture Special Education Needs Foundation, Child Development Center (Bunny Hugs Therapy), Skill Acquisition Institute for People with Disabilities/ Fundación Marcelino Muñoz, Save the Children and Fidelity Bank.
Speaking during a high-level panel discussion titled “Strengthening Disability Advocacy: Role of Government, Institutions, and Community Advancing Social Inclusion”, Founder of ENGAUSA Global Tech Hub and lead of the foundation, Engr. Mustapha Habu Ringim, called for a system where learners with both visible and non-visible disabilities have equal access to education.
According to him, “a society is only as strong as its ability to include people with disabilities in its educational system,” emphasizing that disabilities do not represent inability but “alternative abilities that thrive when the environment is inclusive.”
The discussion also featured notable stakeholders including Prof. Rufa’i Ahmad, Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria, and Abdurrahman Uba Daushe, Chairman of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria, while Dr. Sameerah Ali of Bunny Hugs Therapy moderated the session.
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ENGAUSA’s participation focused on two areas it described as fundamental pillars for inclusive learning—mother-tongue instruction and the deployment of AI-powered assistive technologies.
The organization argued that delivering technical education in indigenous languages boosts comprehension and confidence, noting that such approaches would equally benefit school drop-outs, underemployed youth and Almajiri learners.
The foundation also advocated stronger integration of assistive technology such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text systems, digital captioning, and communication aids, describing them as essential tools for learners with hearing impairments, autism, and other developmental challenges.
ENGAUSA has previously sponsored persons with disabilities in specialized TVET programmes and worked with national and international partners including IDEAS, 3MTT and SUPA to improve inclusion in skills-based education.
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The foundation said its involvement in this year’s IDPD is part of sustained efforts to influence national conversations around accessibility, inclusive learning systems and equitable economic participation.
It thanked partners for supporting the event and reaffirmed its pledge to continue providing training, advocacy and technological solutions that ensure no learner is excluded.
The International Day for Persons With Disabilities is observed annually to promote inclusiveness, raise awareness, and reinforce the rights, dignity and wellbeing of persons living with disabilities.