GetBundi Education Technology is targeting economic independence for 1,000 Nigerians living with disabilities through a three-month digital skills training programme designed to expand their access to employment, freelancing and entrepreneurship.
The fully funded initiative, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, runs from October 2 to December 31, 2026, and will train participants in digital marketing, graphic design or video editing, while providing legal education on their rights under Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
The programme seeks to address limited access to commercially valuable digital skills and inadequate knowledge of legal protections against discrimination.
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Participants will receive live classes, practical assignments, masterclasses, mentorship and internet data support, with the organisers selecting courses they say can create income opportunities and be learned using smartphones.
Speaking at the virtual onboarding ceremony Osita Oparaugo, founder of GetBundi, said the initiative was designed to move disability inclusion beyond advocacy by giving participants practical tools to earn a living.
“Disability does not mean inability. No Nigerian should be denied the opportunity to succeed because of a disability. We are not here to offer sympathy. We are here to create opportunities,” Oparaugo said.
He said the programme aligns with GetBundi’s mission to provide STEM education to post-primary students, equip African youths with job-ready digital skills and promote digital literacy.
The focus on digital marketing, graphic design and video editing reflects the potential of these skills to support freelance work, business development and access to clients beyond participants’ immediate locations.
Ike Ogbuebile, chief executive officer of Encase Consulting and chair of The Uplyft Group USA, who delivered the keynote address, said the skills could help participants pursue global employment opportunities, secure freelance contracts or establish businesses.
“With these skills, you can work with companies anywhere in the world, take on clients as a freelancer, or build a business of your own. You can earn an income, support your family, and become independent,” Ogbuebile said.
However, the programme’s organisers said acquiring technical skills alone would not be sufficient if participants remained unaware of their rights or lacked the knowledge to challenge discriminatory treatment.
GetBundi has engaged legal professionals to deliver eight practical classes on the Disability Act, covering how participants can identify discrimination, document violations and seek appropriate remedies.
Emma Nwagwu, a legal practitioner at Emma Nwagwu & Co., said the sessions would translate the law’s provisions into practical knowledge that participants could apply in their daily lives.
“It is difficult to exercise a right you do not know exists. Our goal is to move the Disability Act from legal language into practical knowledge that participants can apply in everyday life,” Nwagwu said.
The legal component is intended to complement the technical training by helping participants understand the protections available to them as they seek jobs, engage clients and participate in economic activities.
Representing ChiChi Aniagolu, regional director for West Africa at the Ford Foundation, Uloma Obike, her special assistant, said the foundation supported initiatives that reduce inequality and expand economic opportunities for marginalised communities.
She described disability inclusion as an economic multiplier, arguing that access to skills and opportunities could enable people with disabilities to become independent earners, entrepreneurs and contributors to economic growth.
“At the Ford Foundation, our mission centers on advancing inclusion, reducing inequality, and strengthening the agency of marginalized groups,” Obike said.
Oparaugo urged participants to focus on completing assignments and practising their newly acquired skills, stressing that the programme’s objective extended beyond issuing certificates to developing capabilities that could generate sustainable income.
He also warned beneficiaries against paying anyone for access to the training, stating that the programme was completely free and that no member of the GetBundi team was authorised to demand payment.
The initiative comes as digital skills offer potential routes into work that can be performed remotely or through independent businesses. For Nigerians with disabilities, however, converting training into sustainable earnings will depend on more than course completion, including access to clients, suitable work opportunities and inclusive digital and employment environments.
By combining technical instruction with legal awareness, GetBundi and the Ford Foundation aim to equip the 1,000 beneficiaries to pursue greater economic independence while improving their ability to recognise and challenge discrimination.
Royal Ibeh is a senior journalist with years of experience reporting on Nigeria’s technology and health sectors. She currently covers the Technology and Health beats for BusinessDay newspaper, where she writes in-depth stories on digital innovation, telecom infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public health policies.
