As the world mark the MayDay, the world recognized worker’s day, Sightsavers Inclusion Works project use the opportunity to call on the private sector, national and state government to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Nigeria by promoting equal opportunity and disability rights throughout its work.
As world is celebrating this year’s labour day during this global pandemic, it is worthy of praising and commending social workers and care givers who are ensuring people with disabilities live healthy, providing them with emotional, social, economic and psychological support.
While no one has an immune system to resist the corona virus, it has been proven that our level of vulnerability differs, depending on context, but people with disabilities are the largest vulnerable group in Nigeria and they are likely to be among those who suffer most during this lock down.
In a press statement released to The Qualitative Magazine, the organization emphazied that with over 20 million persons with disability in Nigeria, more than 90% of working age are yet to have equal right to employment, both in the formal and informal sector owing to attitudinal, institutional, environmental and communication barriers.
Despite the signing of the discrimination against prohibition act by the President in January 2019 and few States like Lagos, Ondo, Jigawa, Plateau and Anambra having their own State disability law with a disability agency established, government is yet to implement and realize the potentials persons with disabilities can contribute to the economy if employed. According to World Bank, a country that is inclusive of persons with disabilities in its development planning and fully annex their talent will likely increase its GDP by 3-8%.
If both private sector employer, national and State government had invested and give opportunity to thousands of people with disabilities prior to COVID-19, it will have significant impact in decreasing the number of vulnerable groups they will cater for during this global economic lockdown. They would have been earning, build some level of resilience and possibly recover quickly post COVID-19.
The group informed that the future of work will change to the virtual space post COVID-19 and this pose a significant opportunity for employers who are willing to reduce their operational cost to employ people with disabilities. Most online meeting platforms, productivity tools and software’s are becoming accessible and this provides opportunity for PWDs to work effectively, contribute and meaningfully participate in decision making in the organisation.
Although there are certain gaps, but through the DFID Inclusion Works project, Sightsavers is working with five organisation of persons with disabilities – The Albino Foundation, Nigeria Association of the Blind, Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, Network of Disabled Women and Kanawa Educational Foundation for the Disabled across Lagos, FCT and Kano to provide technical assistance in building the disability confidence of employers, enhancing the employability skills, competence and job readiness of people with disabilities, advocating to government and private sector to give equal right and opportunity to people with disabilities.
When they say there is ability in disability, we change the narrative and strongly believe there is productivity in disability.
For more enquiries, Contact:
Rasak Adekoya,
Email: g Tel: +234829045.
About Sightsavers Nigeria
SightSavers is an international development organisation working in Nigeria for over 60 years preventing and eliminating avoidable blindness and promoting the equal rights of people with disabilities. We work with local communities and organisations, using local volunteers to build trust and encourage people to own the solution we provide and sustain them.
