Wheels of Hope: How a Simple Gift is Reshaping Lives at Sa’adatu Rimi University By Ozumi Abdul
In a society where disability often translates into isolation and abandonment, a quiet revolution is unfolding at Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education in Kano State. Led by the Aminu Magashi Garba (AMG) Foundation, this revolution doesn’t involve sweeping legislation or billion-naira investments. Instead, it begins with something deceptively simple—wheelchairs.
For years, students with physical disabilities at the university have battled not just academic challenges but the brutal physical toll of inaccessibility. With no ramps, no campus mobility support, and no structured transport for those living with impairments, many were left to crawl across dusty grounds and concrete corridors—bruised, exhausted, and often defeated.
But thanks to the AMG Foundation’s donation of five wheelchairs, a new chapter has begun. A chapter where students once forced to the margins can now roll through campus gates with their heads held high.
Take Madina A. Yaro, a Fine and Applied Arts student whose admission in 2020 came with both joy and sorrow. The excitement of university life quickly turned into trauma as she crawled from one building to another during registration. Her hands bled. Her spirit broke. Eventually, she deferred her studies and returned home, uncertain of the future.
That future changed in 2021 when the AMG Foundation donated wheelchairs. With dignity restored and her independence reclaimed, Madina re-enrolled. Today, she is in her second year and thriving.
“Without that wheelchair, I wouldn’t be here today. It gave me a second chance at life,” she said with a smile that speaks volumes.
There is also Hafsa Muktar, a first-year student of Islamic Education, who was born with paralyzed legs. Despite her condition, Hafsa never lost sight of her ambition. But the physical realities of campus life threatened to derail her dreams—until she received a wheelchair from AMG Foundation.
“That was the day my dream became real,” Hafsa recalled.
Today, she moves across campus independently, engages fully in lectures, and inspires others by proving that disability is not inability.
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Since the wheelchair donation, more students with physical impairments have returned to classrooms, joined study groups, and participated in campus activities once thought impossible. Students park their wheelchairs at the school gate every morning and retrieve them for their day’s journey—small acts of routine that now carry profound significance.
The initiative has reduced transport expenses too, especially in the wake of Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal, which has pushed up tricycle fares. Some students now ride the wheelchairs home, conserving their limited funds and reclaiming more control over their lives.
But perhaps the most transformative change has been emotional. Where there was once isolation, there is now inclusion. Where there was once shame, there is now pride.
“Before the wheelchairs, I felt invisible,” one student said. “Now, I feel like I belong.”
Yet the need far outweighs the provision. With over 20 physically challenged students currently enrolled, five wheelchairs are simply not enough. Many still face daily setbacks, watching others glide past while they remain stuck.
Mallam Ishaq Inuwa, AMG Foundation’s project coordinator, acknowledged this gap. “Our goal was to kick-start the process of inclusion,” he said. “But we’re calling on individuals, philanthropists, and organizations to help scale up. These students deserve more.”
Program Officer Mallam Suleiman Umar Jalo echoed this sentiment: “The wheelchairs are not just equipment. They are tools of empowerment. They allow students to move, to participate, and to succeed with dignity.”
The truth is, inclusive education doesn’t happen by accident. It requires deliberate action—policies that prioritize accessibility, institutions that value diversity, and communities that understand that opportunity must never be rationed based on ability.
The AMG Foundation has made an indelible start. But their effort should be seen not as a solution, but as a call to action.
Government agencies must do more to enforce accessibility standards in public institutions. Alumni associations can rally support for fundraising. Corporate organizations can contribute mobility devices as part of their corporate social responsibility. And everyday citizens, touched by the stories of Madina, Hafsa, and others, can play their part.
Because for these students, a wheelchair is not just a frame of steel and rubber. It is the vehicle of hope. It is the first step toward dignity, independence, and a future they can now reach—on their own terms.
Ozumi Abdul is a strategic communication expert, SOJO journalist, and fellow of the ICIR. He can be reached via [email protected].
