TQM report,
The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons With Disabilities, Mr. James D. Lalu payed a working visit to the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope -Adefulire in Abuja today, 13th July, 2021 for mutual collaboration to deliver the benefits of the SDGs to Persons with disabilities.
The ES in his opening remarks expressed appreciation to the SSA for her warm reception and quickly highlighted the office demands in recognition of the needs of Persons with disabilities. He avowed that 80% of PWDs live in rural areas on severe conditions.
“Most of them do not have habitable homes but make do with slums which even worsen their health status” he said, as he further lamented that this factor has affected productivity amongst PWDs.
Lalu underpinned that all of the 17 SDGs revolve around the basic things of life out of which Housing (shelter) is very essential. He mentioned his previous visits to the Federal Mortgage Bank and the Federal Housing Authority to form partnership in order to secure affordable homes for Persons with disabilities.
He as well pointed to the 7 points in the SDGs which placed emphasis on PWDs and seized the occasion to seek the SSA’s intervention on these key areas.
Speaking further, the ES reiterated on his recent infrastructural inspection to ensure that the Housing Units being built by the Federal Government in fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of providing mass Housing for Nigerians which commensurates with the accessibility requirement of Persons with disabilities.
In her response, the SSA congratulated the ES upon his appointment which she described as a worthy consideration. She showed profound passion at the presentation of the ES and encouraged him to be optimistic and remain committed to the enormous task ahead of him. She lauded his zeal for carrying the burden of the community of Persons with Disabilities on his shoulders.
Princess Adejoke underscored that SDGs explicitly include Disability and Persons with Disabilities 11 times. She said this is evident in the areas of Education, growth and employment, inequality, accessibility of human settlement enhanced by data collection and monitoring of the SDGs. She equally reiterated the provision by the United Nations for Persons with disabilities and gave a link for onward correspondence i.e. enable@UN.org.
Lastly, the SSA assured of a virile partnership between the SDG and NCPWD which she said will birth a committee that would focus on a Short, Medium and Long term plan in order to come up with a substantial report in the next 2 to 3 weeks from today.
Mbanefo JohnMichael I
Head, Media and Publicity (NCPWD)
13th July, 2021
Some pictures of the Visit
