The Executive Secretary of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. James David Lalu said that the five-year strategic plan of the Commission is to harmonize support from all the stakeholders to actualize the mandate of the Commission.
He made this assertion while addressing the press during the first day of Two (2) Day Five (5) Year Strategic Plan Validation Workshop holding on 3rd and 4th February, 2022 in Abuja.
Speaking further, the NCPWD Boss said that President Mohammadu Buhari in his presidential broadcast to mark Democracy Day, mandated every MDAs to develop programmes targeting persons with disabilities, and NCPWD has been engaging MDAs to understand their roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the Disability Rights Act. This implies that MDAs should also budget for programmes targeted to persons with disabilities.
He asserted that the Five Year Strategic Plan would provide clear plan on how NCPWD can work together with all MDAs, Private Sector, Development Partners, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and Persons with Disabilities to ensure that NCPWD actualize their mandate towards empowerment of PWDs.
He also said that the NCPWD has been intervening and funding some projects especially at the institutions of higher learning such as modifications going on at University of Ilorin, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to model how accessible our higher institution building should be.
He informed that the NCPWD has been engaging the regulatory bodies of Higher Institutions in Nigeria such as NUC, NCCE and NBTE to adopt in their curriculum “disability studies” which NCPWD has developed.
He also said that reduction of discrimination against Persons with Disabilities has been one of the major concerns of NCPWD, that is why the NCPWD built a synergy with Nigerian Police and currently engaging other paramilitary organizations. He emphasized on how important reduction of discrimination is to NCPWD because discrimination against PWDs is on a rise. Recently, a blind person was killed by his brother over land dispute, a lawmaker bought land from a person with disability and refused to pay him.
“All these violations and many others, we need to work with relevant organizations to end discrimination” he added.
He commended Nigerian Railway Corporation for slashing the price for train travels for PWDs, he reaffirmed NCPWD commitment towards ensuring that PWDs enjoy basic services of the government.
TQM reports that earlier, Dr. Toyin Aderemi presented Strategic plan to leaders within disability community, experts on disability issues, representatives of development partners, representatives of MDAs, representatives of Civil Society Organizations, Staff of NCPWD and Media. (Details of her presentation will be published later)
The Strategic plan of NCPWD was developed with the support of Sightsavers.
