As the world commemorates the plights of Persons Living With Disability (PLWD), the Nigerian government is advocating for the protection of their rights.
As part of the activities to mark the day in Nigeria, the government through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, staged a road walk to create awareness on disability rights in the country.
The Director of Social Security and Cooperative Development, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Franca Adiekweh, while making the call, said that the road walk will go a long way in telling the story of people living with disabilities in the country.
A statement by the Head of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Mrs. Patience Onuobia quotes Mrs. Adiekweh as saying that “the roadshow by the Ministry, as represented by the Department of Social Security and Cooperative Development, is to advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities.
“The event was aimed at creating awareness about the plight of the disabled in the society, to defend their rights.”
She maintained that persons living with disabilities have rights and their rights should be protected.
“So, that is basically what we are doing this morning. The International Day of Persons With Disabilities is a yearly event that takes place on December 3, every year. It is an event that was instituted by the United Nations.
“It is a day set aside for people living with disabilities for their voices to be heard and for their needs to be pointed out to the society, to ensure that the right thing is done,” she said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Ayuba Gufwa, expressed happiness that the Ministry of Labour and Employment was celebrating the Day.
Gufwa described the event as a day for stock taking, remembrance of people living with disabilities around the world, and bringing their plight to the fore.
“It is a day that we take a look at how far we have gone in this journey.
“I know that as the disability community, we are not where we were yesterday.
“Even though we are not at our destination, we are making significant progress, and I am happy that the Ministry of Labour and Employment is celebrating this day,” he said.
The Executive Secretary challenged other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDA) of government to join in the creation of awareness about the day so that jointly, they can review the journey thus far.
“How are we treating people with disabilities in our MDAs, this is the strong message that we are sending out to the whole world on the need to make our country adaptable for all and sundry.
“We are talking of about 35 million people living with disabilities in Nigeria alone. This is a huge number.
“It is higher than the number of many African countries put together, many European countries, the Arab regions.
“So, that 35 million is huge, unfortunately, this 35 million is not a declining number, but rather, an increasing number.”
Gufwa noted that every year, more people join the community of persons with disabilities, due to accidents, age, and health conditions, among others.
He stressed the need to make Nigeria adaptable for all, adding that all available means need to be utilized to make the country inclusive, comfortable, and adaptable for everybody irrespective of their challenges.
The theme of this year’s Day is “Amplifying Leadership of Persons With Disabilities for an Inclusive And Sustainable Future”.
This theme according to the UN, recognizes the important role that persons with disabilities play in creating a more inclusive and sustainable world for all.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, set aside by the United Nations in 1992, is celebrated annually on December 3rd to promote awareness and understanding of disability issues.
It also aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
According to the World Health Organisation WHO, an estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability.
This represents 16% of the world’s population or 1 in 6 persons.
Comments are closed.