In a major step toward strengthening inclusive disaster management in Abia State, the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, convened a one-day sensitization workshop focused on disability-inclusive disaster preparedness for Local Government Areas (LGAs). The impactful session, held at Rapha Hotel in Umuahia, brought together local government officers, government agencies, disability cluster leaders, and the media—marking a significant milestone in efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are not overlooked in disaster planning and climate change mitigation.
Supported by the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), the workshop aimed to enhance the capacity of LGA officers to design and implement disaster preparedness strategies that are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of PWDs at the grassroots level. As climate change intensifies and disaster risks increase across Nigeria, the training underscored the urgent need for inclusive models that protect vulnerable populations.
Delivering his remarks, Mr. David Anyaele, Chairman of the Abia State Disability Commission, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to embedding disability inclusion into all disaster preparedness frameworks. He noted that the Commission would work closely with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure that emergency plans and early warning systems adequately reflect the needs of PWDs.
Mr. Anyaele commended CCD for consistently leading conversations and interventions on disability inclusion in climate adaptation and mitigation. “It is commendable that the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities has been drawing attention to the need for us to prepare for disasters inclusively, leaving no one behind,” he said. He further expressed appreciation to CCD for selecting Abia as a pilot ground for its ongoing initiatives, acknowledging the state’s openness to development-focused collaborations.
In his address, Mr. Godwin Unumeri, Acting Director of CCD, highlighted the Centre’s sustained efforts in building the capacity of policymakers, stakeholders, and response organizations across Abia State since its initial intervention two years ago. He emphasized that this particular training represented a turning point, as it reached the grassroots for the first time. “The training was well planned and effectively implemented, to the extent that many participants now understand the concepts,” he stated with satisfaction.
Participants engaged in practical sessions on inclusive early warning systems, accessible evacuation procedures, the role of disability data in emergency planning, and strategies for mainstreaming disability considerations into local disaster response structures.
At the close of the workshop, climate change desk officers pledged to cascade the knowledge gained to their respective institutions, ensuring that inclusive disaster preparedness becomes a standard practice across all LGAs in Abia State.
With climate hazards increasingly threatening lives and livelihoods across Nigeria, CCD’s continued leadership in promoting disability-inclusive disaster management is a timely and impactful contribution to building resilient communities and safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities.
