By Agbo Christian Obiora
In a bold step toward economic empowerment and inclusion, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has launched a landmark agricultural support initiative aimed at boosting productivity and self-reliance among persons with disabilities across Nigeria.
On Monday, July 7, 2025, the Commission distributed fertilizers and essential farming tools to groups of persons with disabilities clustered under various disability-based associations. The distribution, which took place in Abuja, marks a significant milestone in the Commission’s sustained effort to promote livelihood support and economic participation for one of the country’s most marginalized populations.
A Vision for Inclusive Agricultural Development
The initiative, spearheaded under the leadership of Chief James Lalu, Executive Secretary of the Commission, and represented at the event by the Acting Director of Social Integration, Mr. Lawrence Idemudia, reflects NCPWD’s renewed focus on inclusive economic development. According to Mr. Idemudia, the distribution of agricultural inputs is just one of many upcoming initiatives that the Commission is rolling out to ensure that no person with disability is left behind in Nigeria’s socio-economic development plans.
“This distribution is part of our broader goal to support and enhance the lives of persons with disabilities,” he remarked. “We have more initiatives in the pipeline to further empower our beneficiaries—not just in agriculture but across other sectors as well.”
He explained that the agricultural empowerment scheme aligns with the Commission’s mandate to provide assistive technologies and livelihood-enabling resources that facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in productive ventures, especially those in rural and underserved communities.
Empowering a Marginalized Community Through Agriculture
For millions of Nigerians with disabilities, access to economic opportunities remains a significant challenge, often worsened by poor access to land, capital, tools, and training. Agriculture, being the largest employer of labor in the country, presents a vast but underutilized avenue for economic inclusion.
Through this initiative, the NCPWD aims to dismantle some of the structural barriers faced by persons with disabilities in farming by equipping them with fertilizers and essential farming implements—tools that can make the difference between subsistence and sustainability.
The beneficiaries of the program were drawn from across Nigeria and represented a wide spectrum of disability communities. Participating organizations included:
- Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)
- Nigerian Association of the Blind (NAB)
- Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD)
- Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN)
- Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disability of Nigeria
- National Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (NAPWPD)
- Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria
- Persons Affected by Leprosy (PALs)
Members of these associations received the supplies with joy and expressed appreciation to the Commission for not only recognizing the role of agriculture in poverty reduction but also for actively working to ensure that persons with disabilities are not excluded from national agricultural programs.
A representative from JONAPWD said,
“This gesture shows that the Commission truly listens to our needs. Many of our members are skilled in farming but lack the inputs to scale up. These tools and fertilizers will go a long way in improving our productivity and income.”
A Commitment to Sustainable Empowerment
The NCPWD has consistently emphasized that disability inclusion must go beyond tokenism and handouts—it must involve systemic support that empowers persons with disabilities to become self-reliant contributors to national development. This agricultural empowerment program is a model of such support, combining policy with practical implementation.
The Commission believes that enabling persons with disabilities to participate meaningfully in agriculture will not only help alleviate poverty within the community but will also send a strong message that disability is not inability.
“Our vision is to build a Nigeria where every person with disability has equal access to economic opportunity,” Mr. Idemudia noted. “This starts with removing the barriers that keep them out of sectors like agriculture, where they have long been invisible.”
Looking Ahead
As the NCPWD continues to chart the course for inclusive development, its collaboration with disability clusters, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders will be key to ensuring that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities are reflected in national economic strategies.
With more empowerment programs underway and continued advocacy for inclusion across ministries, departments, and agencies, the Commission remains steadfast in its mission to build an inclusive, accessible, and just society for all Nigerians—regardless of physical, sensory, or intellectual ability.
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