ENUGU — The Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria, ALDIN, has raised concern over the failure of many state governments to domesticate the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
Mr. Yusuf Iyodo, Director of Media and Publicity of ALDIN disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Enugu.
Iyodo said that domestication had become necessary following the increasing number of Persons With Disabilities, PWDs, in the country.
“PWDs suffer all manner of social exclusion and stigma which ought not to be and the narrative must be changed,”
The National Assembly had in 2018 enacted the law which among other things protected the rights of PWDs.
The promulgation further imposed complementary obligations on state governments to domesticate the Act.
According to him, Article 4 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD, mandates state parties to carry out actions to modify practices that constitute discrimination against PWDs.
“The import of the Act was to achieve a socially inclusive society,
“But many states are yet to comply thus complicating living conditions of persons living with disabilities,” the Director on Media said.
He further revealed that no fewer than 32 million Nigerians have one form of disability or the other.
Many PWDs in Nigeria has lost out in various life’s endeavor, including education, health and employment.
“Hence, it is necessary and expedient that all states of the federation comply with national and internationalS laws on disability.
