The increasing expense of assistive technology in Nigeria is a matter of worry for people with disabilities (PWDs) and disability advocates.
Addressing these concerns, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) at Kano’s School for Arabic Studies (SAS) commemorated the 2026 World Day for Assistive Technology.
All levels of government were urged to lower prices and increase accessibility of life-saving devices.
According to many who attended the event, the inability to buy assistive technology like vision aids, Braille materials, and mobility aids prevents many people with disabilities from participating in education, finding gainful jobs, and using internet services.
Mariya Ishaq of the Albinism Association of Nigeria emphasised the significance of gadgets and protective materials that aid with learning, mobility, and safety while presenting on assistive technology for persons with albinism.
She listed the most popular aids used by people with albinism and how they greatly enhance their quality of life, including magnifying glasses, hand magnifiers, visual aids, sunshades, umbrellas, protective clothes, and sunscreen creams.
The hefty price of these devices, however, makes them out of reach for many disadvantaged people, particularly in rural areas, according to participants.
Speaking at the same event, Tudun Maliki, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, VP of the Special Education School (SES), urged more funding for assistive technology developed in the country for people with disabilities.
He claimed that if Nigeria manufactured these devices, it would cut costs and rely less on foreign suppliers.
Concerned about the lack of Braille paper in schools for students with special needs, he also demanded immediate action.
The stakeholders demanded that the government do more to support people with disabilities, including allocating more funds to assistive devices, doing away with import duties on related equipment, creating resource centers for assistive technology, and making disability-inclusive policies more widely used.
In a previous interview, Hamza Aminu Fagge, the PWD Clcoordinator at CITAD, emphasised the importance of assistive technology in ensuring that people with disabilities have equal opportunities to participate in all aspects of society.
He emphasised that many people with disabilities are still left out because of accessibility issues, but that assistive technology are vital in opening doors to school, jobs, government, and other opportunities.