Access to substantial funding has been a major challenge faced by Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria despite their situations.
Quite a number of Persons with Disabilities have suffered non-inclusivity, Victimization,and hampered by next to none income or source of livelihood.
Again, this factor has become worrisome for the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons With Disabilities Mr James David Lalu who recently (6th September, 2023 to be precise) in Abuja met with the Executives of the Cooperative Federation of Nigerian limited to chart a way forward and to open the much needed access to funding for the community of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.
It is on this basis that the Commission has chosen the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria as a dependable partner that will assist in accessing funds from all relevant Donors and disability Ambassadors.
However, the story of non inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria was altered by the intervention of the immediate past Administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari who signed into law the Act against the discriminations of Persons With Disabilities in Nigeria, which before then remained an illusion.
The struggle had lingered for decades through successive governments whose laissez-faire attitudes lingered the coming into being of the legal document that finally established the Commission.
Of course, the government after much consultations deemed it fit to appoint James David Lalu as the first Executive Secretary of the Commission in 2019.
Being a personality with a strong focus, James Lalu did not delay in the assemblage of foot soldiers (Civil servants) who were drawn from various Federal government’s Departments to hit the ground running (In line with the government’s ease of doing business).
To fulfill the mandate of the Commission as provided in the 2018 Discrimination Act, the ES wrote to the appropriate quarters for the recruitments of staff and for the smooth administration of the Commission. This valid proposal was graciously approved and about 100 staff members were duly employed.
This did not happen without the approval of the Board of the Commission, the National Assembly and Federal Character Commission.
Moreso, considerations of Federal character and 40% representation of Persons with disabilities out of the 100 employed were major indices in the staffing process.
The appointments were not limited to the Commission but, was spread to MDAs such as the National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSTIF) in fulfilment of the 5% quota for employing Persons With Disabilities.
Beyond the affordable Housing program of the Commission was the introduction of minimum accessibility standards, which is the standard code for the construction of buildings and public facilities in order to accommodate and give seamless access to Persons With Disabilities all over the country.
As a way of ensuring a healthy living for Persons with Disabilities, the Commission through the leadership of Lalu was able to secure reputable Health Management Organizations (HMOs) that will provide an all- inclusive top notch health services for Persons With Disabilities.
Nevertheless, the Commission has been working closely with Development Partners both local and international to provide support and capacity for the upliftment of PWDs’ status.
Another remarkable achievement was in the areas of transportation where the ES met with the Authority of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and got an approved 15% discount on travel tickets for Persons With Disabilities.
Gone are the days when Persons With Disabilities were denied boarding access on flights without their aids. This was as a result of the litigation filed by NCPWD against one of the defaulting Airlines that later corrected the erroneous treatment of a Person with disability.
To further strengthen the compliance with the laws protecting the fundamental rights of Persons with disabilities, the Commission went into partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps to establish National Desk offices across the 36 states of the federation to handle cases of deprivation in the communities.
Stunned by the achievements of the Commission under the leadership of James David Lalu, the Executive President, Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, Dr. Ayo Olatunde who was in the company of Hon. Isah Saidu Bakar became emotional hearing that the population of Persons With Disabilities are beyond 35 million and yet without adequate attention.
He then agreed with the Commission to do everything humanly possible to work towards changing the narrative.
And Like the usual saying, “give a man fish; you have only fed him for the day but, teach him how to fish, then you would have succeeded in feeding him for the rest of his life”.
The Cooperative Federation of Nigeria would definitely bring about the empowerment that the struggling Persons With Disabilities actually need in order to succeed.
NCPWD Press and PR Unit
20th September, 2023
