Empowering Individuals with Disabilities through Entrepreneurship in Nigeria: An Integrative Review

Abstract

This paper examined the available literature on persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria with respect to empowering them through entrepreneurship. Using the integrative review research method, this paper highlighted some of the barriers faced by PWDs in becoming successful entrepreneurs as well as offered possible solutions/strategies to overcome these barriers. Three databases were searched with search terms carefully coined to generate relevant results. Based on the available literature, the idea of empowerment for the disabled in Nigeria varies across religious and cultural diversity. Empowerment could mean a mandatory religious practice of giving alms (Zakat) to the most deserving individuals. It could be used as a political tool by people in government offices. Empowerment obliges privileged people to remember the less privileged and disabled in the society. Some of the common barriers faced by PWDs in venturing into entrepreneurship were found to include a lack of entrepreneurial education, discrimination, difficulty in raising start-up capital, and poor enactment/implementation of legislation among others. However, potential solutions to these challenges were found to include the enactment and enforcement of legislation favourable for PWDs to thrive in entrepreneurship, educational investment, provision of accommodating environment, adequate financing, and provision of assistive technology among others. Nigeria still has a long way to go in assisting PWDs to achieve their full potential. Empowerment of PWDs should come in the form of entrepreneurial education with which they can learn to become self-reliant and financially independent.