Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government have been urged to implement comprehensive policies and practices to accommodate and empower people with disabilities, creating an inclusive environment that appreciates diversity and promotes social equity.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Abba Isa made the call during the Inter-Minsterial and Inter-Agency Awareness Summit on “The Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities,” iheld in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
He emphasized the need to Foster Collaboration in Building a United Strategy for implementing the National Disability Act 2018 saying that it represents both a moral and legal commitment to building an inclusive Nigeria where all citizens, regardless of ability, can participate in society.
“Nigeria is one of the countries that implement United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability by Assenting National Disability Act in 2018. And Nigeria is one of the countries that have National Commission for Persons with Disability. It’s an agency saddled with the responsibility for the implementation and regulating the activities of persons with disability in terms of welfare.”
He added that, “This administration recognizes the need for Mr. President to consult with individuals with special needs to advise and guide the implementation process. Additionally, the five-year period allocated for this act has now expired.”
Isa who spoke in a interview with Voice of Nigeria, stated that collaborative efforts with the legislature are actively underway to ensure the bill is successfully enacted into law.
According to him, it will bolster support for the proposed initiatives and streamline the legislative process, ensuring that the needs of individuals with disabilities are adequately addressed.
While speaking, the Senior Program Officer with the MacArthur Foundation Africa Office, Amina Salihu emphasised the effectiveness of more awareness campaigns to educate the public on disability rights.
“Awareness is very important. Second is the matter of partnership. It’s not about blaming people. It’s really more about ensuring that people understand what they ought to do. People know that disability is a connector for everybody. if you look at disability as a spectrum of one to ten, some of us are along that one to ten at certain points and acknowledging that brings some humility
“For the MacArthur Foundation we realize that at the end of the day it is not really about laws and policies and institutions and systems. They are very important, no doubt. It is about our humanity. How do we understand that we are equally vulnerable. Everybody matters. Everybody has rights,” she added.
The highlight of summit was the inauguration of a committee dedicated to ensuring the effective implementation of the National Disability Act of 2018. Stakeholders and advocates united to emphasize the importance of promoting inclusive policies and awareness campaigns for the rights of people with disabilities.
Comments are closed.