The Executive Secretary, National Commission For Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD), Dr. James Lalu has called on Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry Of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim to form a bilateral committee between NCPWD and Youth Development Ministry to foster inclusion of Persons With Disabilities in All Youths Programs in Nigeria.
Dr. Lalu made this call during a courtesy visit by The Honourable Minister to the Commission on Tuesday in Abuja.
Dr. Lalu in his speech appreciated The Honourable Minister of Youth Development for being the first Minister to visit the Commission since Renewed Hope Administration. He eulogized the Minister for her humility and compassion choosing to visit the Commission instead after receiving their letter for a courtesy visit to the Ministry.
He described her visit as hope for better future for persons with disabilities in the new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
While appreciating the Minister, he acknowledged the presence of Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University and his entourage who visited the Commission proposing partnership for the educational development of PWDs through the University.
Speaking further, he informed that 15 percent of Nigerian Population are persons with disabilities, that is to say that we have 35. 5 million Nigerians with disabilities. This number is equivalent to bringing three or four states together. Persons With Disabilities are significant part of National Development.
“Persons With Disabilities have contributed immensely to the progress of Nigeria Societies. For example, in the area of sports, whenever others go out to represent, they don’t come back with laurels but when PWDs goes out, they come back with a lot of laurels, gold, silvers and bronze”.
He appreciated the Minister for her efforts so far towards promoting the well-being of young people in Nigeria and urged her to ensure Inclusivity of young people with disabilities in all the ministry’s policies, programmes and initiatives.
He advocated that all the youth Centres in Nigeria to be made accessible for PWDs.
He went further to inform that National Disability Act is a struggle which started at year 2000 by advocates with disabilities which has been passed in different times by different Assemblies but were turned down by several Presidents until President Mohammadu Buhari signed it in January 17, 2019 and in 17, August, 2020, he established National Commission For Persons With Disabilities which is a creation of the Act to saddled with the responsibility of the implementation of the Act.
He also informed that in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Commission are working to improve the 5percent employment quota for PWDs in all MDAs.
He also called on the Minister to include young people with disabilities in leadership training programs because there is need for PWDs to enhance their leadership qualities to occupy leadership positions which will help to promote well-being of persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
In the Ministry’s ongoing empowerment programs, the Executive Secretary urged the Minister to allocate 10percent to young people with disabilities and the Commission will be willing to partner with Ministry in this regard.
He proposed a bilateral committee between the Commission and the Ministry to foster the engagement to ensure that disability inclusion is mainstreamed in all the programs of the Ministry.
The Executive Secretary made a passionate appeal that all hands should be on desk when it comes to issues of disability inclusion because disability is everybody’s business because it can happen to anyone at anytime. He informed that the only way you can avoid it is that if you die before it comes to you.
The Honourable Minister, Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim in her response commended the Executive Secretary for his hospitality and echoed the Executive Secretary earlier submission that “none of us is immune from Disability. It can happen to anyone. You can have accident and you wouldn’t be able to use your limbs or hands anymore”.
“I chose to come instead because of the challenges I face accessing my office daily, I couldn’t imagine what PWDs face trying to access my office so I decided to visit instead in order to have more robust contribution and engagement on the issues”.
Speaking further, she said that “That’s not to say that there is no ability in disability, it is only to show that I care and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does care. That’s why he appointed an SAs on Disability Matters. That’s bringing PWDs closer. Maybe in the near future, The President can appoint a PWD as a minister. It is important because decision made without me is not for me.
On Policy, the minister said “we are reviewing the strategy for National Policy On Youth Development which geared towards promoting participation, inclusiveness and opportunity for every young people in Nigeria.
“Based on this, we will extend invitation to the Commission to be part of the Committee”.
“The policy will allocated 10 percent slots for persons with disabilities”.
“We will also adopt the use of sign language in all our programs” she added.
She commits towards promoting rights and dignity of persons with disabilities by providing improving their accessibility to public infrastructures, include them in decision making processes and implementation of programmes and initiatives.
She also commits to establishing a Disability Desk Office as a response to forming a bilateral committee between the Commission and the Ministry.
She also promised to always partner with the Commission in their efforts to promote the well-being of young persons with disabilities.
