As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International White Cane Day, the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) has called on the federal government, particularly the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to urgently close open manholes and create more job opportunities for persons with visual impairments.
Speaking during a road walk and awareness campaign in Abuja, Stanley Onyebuchi, President of the association, decried the dangers open manholes pose to blind persons in the nation’s capital, describing them as “silent death traps.”
“Even today, as we held our procession, volunteers had to block the open holes to prevent our members from falling into them. We are appealing to the FCT Minister to close these holes immediately. They endanger our lives every time we attempt to move around independently,” Onyebuchi said.
Onyebuchi explained that the International White Cane Day, marked every 15th of October, is dedicated to celebrating the independence, safety, and dignity of persons with visual impairments worldwide. He emphasised that while the white cane symbolises independence, the current state of road infrastructure in Abuja limits that freedom.
“We have many educated, skilled, and talented members who remain unemployed. We urge the government to employ qualified persons with visual impairments and provide empowerment opportunities for our members who have acquired various skills,” he said.
He also called for scholarships for visually impaired students and the allocation of land in Abuja for the construction of a national secretariat for the Association, a facility he said is long overdue.
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“In the entire West Africa, Nigeria is the only country where the Association of the Blind does not have a national secretariat. We have written to the FCT Minister several times with no response. We have partners willing to help us develop the land if the government provides it,” he added.
