After Naija Feminists Media’s Report, Mother with Disability Gains Economic Skills, Digital Access

After Naija Feminists Media (NFM)’s report on the challenges single mothers with disabilities face in Nigeria, Halimah Sulayman, a mother struggling with mental health challenges due to social isolation and lack of economic opportunities, gained baking skills to boost her economic empowerment, digital access, and community support.

The report, published on May 18, 2026, reveals how women with disabilities often face multiple layers of marginalisation. For mothers with disabilities, they are treated as “third-class citizens.” They are discriminated for being women, for being a person with disabilities, and for being single mothers, often resulting from the challenges they face in their marriages due to their disabilities. The report also highlighted what grassroots organisations such as The Mum Bridge (TMB) are doing to address the challenges of mothers with disabilties. 

Following publication of the report, a reader, Halimah, contacted NFM via phone call on Sept. 2, 2026, to recount her challenges as a mother with disabilities. She stated she had experienced increased mental health challenges after postpartum and requested that we facilitate her joining the TMB’s community, as highlighted in NFM’s report.

NFM facilitated her joining The Mum Bridge. After joining the community, she gained access to a supportive community and on-the-ground skills training. The empowerment programme, Bridge to Business initiative, implemented by TMB, was a practical four-day baking and business training for mothers with disabilities, held from 5 to 8 October 2026 in Alimosho, Lagos State.

“I have been practising making puff-puff with the ingredients they gave us,” Halimah told NFM, sharing a video of her practise with the organisation and appreciating NFM for connecting her to the grassroots organisation.

The report had practical impact beyond mitigating Halimah’s social isolation and lack of employable skills. She said it had also facilitated her access to digital resources. 

“My phone was seized for more than 8 months. I was unable to use Telegram and other social media again,” Habibah said, describing how NFM had facilitated her digital access. “It was you who made me start using a browsing phone and at least be on one social media, which is WhatsApp.”