Senior Special Assistant To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa On Commemoration Of International Day For Persons With Disabilities ( IDPD 2023), addressed Nigerians, the address shared with The Qualitative Magazine reads as follows:
Dear PWDs, partners and advocates for inclusivity.
I am privileged to address us today in position of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability matters. This honour and indeed inclusion in governance availed us by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in itself a renewed hope for us in the disability community.
I find it a rare privilege to address us all as we collectively recognize and celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of persons with disabilities worldwide. Ours in Nigeria is a unique one as it calls for both celebration and reflection.
In the pursuit of a truly inclusive society, we must acknowledge the barriers that persist and the urgent need for concerted efforts to dismantle them.
Our commitment to inclusivity is not merely a moral imperative; it is an investment in a richer, more diverse world where every individual can thrive.
As we commemorate this day, let us reflect on the progress made, but also recognize the challenges that lie ahead.
We must champion accessibility in all aspects of life, from education and employment to healthcare and public spaces. The journey towards inclusivity requires the collective will of governments, civil society, and the private sector.
Empowering persons with disabilities involves providing not just equal opportunities, but also ensuring their voices are heard and their perspectives valued. It is through collaboration and understanding that we can build a society that embraces diversity as a strength.
To this end, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated me “to proactively
create avenues of opportunity for inclusion of PWDs requirements and perspectives in the policies and
programmes of all Ministries, departments and agencies of
the Federal Government and also to work closely with subnational authorities to build a national consensus on PWD
friendly policies and environmental conditions.
My role basically is to liaise, engage, collaborate, and work with Ministries, departments and agencies of government to ensure disability inclusion in their policies, plans and
programmes.
Also, I am mandated to work with State
governments to ensure formulation and enactment of appropriate legal frameworks for the benefit of people with disabilities.
The Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has among other plans, the resolve for the attainment of Food Security; Ending Poverty; Economic Growth and Job Creation; Access to Capital, particularly consumer credit; Rule of Law; Fighting Corruption and ensuring inclusivity in all its dimensions, particularly as regards youth, women and people with disabilities.
And the strategy of this administration and for my office is to create an enabling environment for inclusion. Thankfully the government has backed this mandate and we have nothing to fear but to be forward looking, vigilant and determined in our pursuit for inclusion.
Our commitment to inclusivity must extend beyond symbolic gestures. It requires tangible actions, policy reforms, and the integration of disability perspectives into the very fabric of our societies, to enable us foster a culture where individuals of all abilities are recognized for their talents, contributions, and humanity.
Note for the sake of emphasis that this government is willing and able to deliver on its resolve of an inclusive renewed hope agenda. We will get duty bearers to comply. We will harness every worthwhile ideas of members of our community and make them work for our collective good.
In conclusion, let this International Disability Day be a call to action. Let us strive for a world where inclusivity is not an aspiration but a reality, where every person, regardless of ability, can live with dignity and participate fully in the social, economic, and political life of their communities.
Thank you, and again I reiterate, that we should continue working together towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, FIPMA, FCIPM
