TQM report,

By Chris Agbo

Count Disability Nigeria Coalition (CDNC) on Monday in Abuja organized a One-Day Project Orientation Meeting.

CDNC is a coalition of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities working to ensure that all state and non-state actors institutionalize the practice of collecting data that is disaggregated by disability and use same for planning and decision-making.
 

The Coalition is led by Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) with members comprising the following organizations: Disability Not A Barrier Initiative (DINABI) Mimi-Jean Foundation & JONAPWD Anambra State Chapter.
 
The project is being implemented by the Count Disability Nigeria Coalition with support from Disability Rights Fund. The aim of the project is to increase the availability of disability-disaggregated data in Nigeria for effective program planning and implementation and support Government towards achieving her commitments on data at the Global Disability Summit held in 2018.

The Convener, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her opening speech said that lack of disaggregated data of persons with disabilities is having a negative impact on the effort of OPDs to advocate for disability inclusion in most of the government social intervention. She gave example of the challenge faced by OPDs during the COVID-19 Palliative Distribution when nobody was able to provide comprehensive data of PWDs for government to work with it.

She expressed joy that National Population Commission is about to carry out a National Census so it is imperative that this Coalition advocate for disability inclusion in order to achieve disaggregated data that have undermined articulated plans for mainstream PWDs in government planning and development. She encouraged OPDs to take ownership of the project and drive it. She called on all stakeholders to put all hands on deck and ensure the commitments made by the Federal Government at the Global Disability Summit are met and to ensure that Disability Data are collected using the Washington Group of Questions.

The Executive Secretary, National Commission of Persons with disabilities, Dr James Lalu expressed gratitude on the project the Coalition is embarking on saying that it would greatly assist the newly established commission in planning their programs for the teeming population of persons with disabilities. He said he was present at the Global Disability Summit and that disability data took the center stage at the meeting. He promised to work with the Coalition in engaging the National Population Commission to ensure that the coming census takes cognizance of disability issues in its activities using the Washington Group of Questions.

A Coalition member and Executive Director of DINABI, Olajide Funso made a presentation on the Overview of Current Disability Data/Statistics in Nigeria. He stated that the disability data in Nigeria is inconsistent, unreliable, non-disaggregated, estimation-based and completely under-represent the disability community. He said while the 2006 Nigerian Census reported 3,253,169 people with disabilities, the World Report on Disability, published in 2011, said about 25 million Nigerians had at least one disability while another report also claimed that no fewer than 19 million Nigerians are living with disabilities. These conflicting figures obviously cannot be relied on for planning and implementation.

Dr. Irene in her presentation provided an overview of the background to the Global Disability Summit and the Commitments made. Highlights of the GDS were the 170 commitments to end stigma and tackle discrimination against persons with disabilities and ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access and voice in society. 301 governments and organizations also signed the ‘Charter for Change,’ an action plan to implement the UN International Convention on Disability. 

She further said that Nigeria also put timelines to these commitments, and it is the duty of the OPDs to hold government accountable to ensure that these commitments are reached by government.

The participants were grouped into three to map out strategies to ensure success in the collection of disaggregated data of PWDs in Nigeria. This was facilitated by Beatrice Mube of Mimijean Foundation, a member of the Coalition.

Participants expressed optimism about the project and lauded DRAC for always designing initiatives that enlighten and educate the disability community as most of them had no idea about the commitments made by Nigeria at the GDS and they are now energized to start holding Government accountable.

The event witnessed the presence of some notable disability rights advocates, Mr Lawrence Idemudia, Mr Chris Agbo of Qualitative Magazine, Barr Ikem Uchegbulam, Obinna Ekujereonye, Mohammed Haruna, Vice President, NNAD, Barr. Catherine Edeh Founder, Voice of Disability Initiative, and Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, a consultant for the project among others.

Some pictures from The Event

The Albino Foundation in partnership with the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Tuesday in Abuja organised a one-day training for leadership of political parties on disability inclusion in political processes.

The founder and CEO, The Albino Foundation and The Convener, Disability Inclusion Nigeria, Jake Epelle in his opening remark said that the event is designed to educate the political party on disability issues and to build their capacity towards mainstreaming persons with disabilities into their policies and programmes to enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in electoral and political processes in Nigeria.

Speaking further he stated that at the end of the workshop, he expected that there will be increased awareness and capacity of political actors (National and State executives of political parties) to improve participation of PWDs and PWAs in electoral and political processes in Nigeria.

The workshop was declared open by James Lalu, the Executive Secretary of National Commission of Persons with disabilities who also doubles as the PWDs Representative at the APC National Caretaker Committee. In his remark while declaring the workshop open, he said that political parties have a lot to gain by including persons with disabilities. He said that PWDs have huge number that the political parties cannot afford to toy with. He told his political story of once being a member of PDP but because PDP refused to recognize PWDs, he left to APC. APC being the only party that are giving persons with disabilities sense of belonging, a lot of PWDs joined the party and that also contributed to their victory in 2015 general election.

The goodwill messages were delivered by Hamza Fassi-Fihri, ECES, Dr. Leonard Nzenwa (Chairman, IPAC Caretaker Committee), Lois Auta, the CEO, Network of Disabled Women, Founder, Cedar seed Foundation, and the first woman with disability present herself for election into House of Representatives.

Grace Jerry of Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), represented by Oluwaseyi Moses (Programme Manager, IFA) made a presentation on the topic “Disability Inclusion: Understanding disability issues and barriers to equal political participation of PWDs” and Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, IPAC Caretaker Committee Chairman presented another “Disability Inclusion: Developing strategy to increase participation of PWDs in political processes in Nigeria”.

The IPAC chairman in his presentation made the following commitments:

• Political parties committed to make available Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to all PWDs at a reduced and affordable cost.
• All political offices and administration of offices provide a quota for PWDs
• Political parties’ advocacy on siting offices in accessible environment
• Create PWD cells in political parties to maintain the agenda of PWDs
• Political parties are aware of ongoing constitutional reform processes and will support every submission that will promote inclusive participation of PWDs

The following recommendations were made at the end of the workshop:

• Implement articles 29 of the UN convention of the rights of PWDs and article 9 of CEDAW
• Elevate positive rhetoric’s geared towards promoting participation of PWDs in political parties
• Provide favourable physical and environmental conditions to allow PWDs achieve their full potential and participate in every aspect of life
• Sustained engagements by all stakeholders towards mainstreaming participation of PWDs in political and electoral life

Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) has trained 280 Persons with Disability Supervisors on data collection of voters with disabilities in 280 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of 13 States. The group said it targets 13 more States in 2021 and another 13 in 2022 in preparation for 2023 General elections.

The Program Manager of data for Inclusion project for IFA, Jesse John, with support from Voice, in an interview with Inclusive News Network said it had recently recruited and trained 23 Persons with Disabilities, one from each of the 23 local government area of Sokoto State.

The group stated that the PWDs Supervisors were trained on the manual methodology for data collection to assist them collect the disaggregated data of voters with disabilities in the state. The data collected would be shared with the Independent NationaL Electoral Commission (INEC) in a bid to update the disability status of voters already captured in the INEC Voters Register.

The group is currently conducting similar training in Kwara State and its 16 LGAs. Eleven other States are still in the offing.

“We are currently working with 13 States. The total number of LGAs in these States is 280. There are still some 44 LGAs in Kano State. In all, we have trained 236 PWDs in 12 States. We hope to do additional 13 States in 2021 with another 13 in 2022 in preparation for 2023 general elections.”

“Well, I think our objective is simply to collect the disaggregated data of PWDs who are registered voters.”

“And the reason we are doing this is that without data, it is impossible for any Government agency or ministry to plan for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in their program.”

The group urged INEC to use the data and ensure Persons with Disabilities are mainstreamed into their programs and systems.

“And for other organizations, it is crucial that we collect relevant data at different levels of engagement within our constituencies and learn to share such data with agencies that need to use them in making decisions that affect PWDs positively.”

When asked if the current unrest in the country has slowed down its activities, the group responded in affirmative: “Yes, the Kano training was slated for last week Friday but due to the unrest in Sabon Gari last weekend, we had to postponed the activity.

“The #EndSARS protests in itself didn’t affect our activities, it was the unrest that followed which affected it. We are in support of the #EndSARS protest as an organization. However, we are against the violence carried out by hoodlums, which hindered our training from going smoothly.

“As an organization of persons with disabilities, we know that each time violence erupts, more persons acquire disabilities. This directly increase the index of persons with disabilities in the country. And its instructive to know that the country has yet to understand and plan for the already existing millions of PWDs we currently have”.

A coalition of non-governmental organisations has formed a think-tank group that will push the federal government to see the need to adopt the continental disability law.
This was in view of the fact that about six countries have already ratified the Africa Disability Protocols (ADPs) across the continent.

Speaking at a virtual second round-table meeting on the ADP Ratification for Nigeria, the Community Development Manager, Special Needs Initiative for Growth, Racheal Inegbedion, said if Nigeria ratifies the ADP, it would clear the path for the country to be able to provide the right social and economic provision for persons with disabilities (PWD).

However, speaking on the impact of the Covid-19 on PWDs, she said there was a need to strategise on the way forward to make government ratify the protocol, adding that, “because we believe that if Nigeria starts other African countries will follow suit. If we have a quota of 25 countries that have ratified, then we’re good to go.”

She added: “But, however, unless our continent, which is Africa sufficiently addresses the underlying structural and socio-economic causes that compound the exclusion of PWD and the perennial exclusion of disability issues and programs and projects, then our aspiration to have the ADP ratified in Nigeria is likely to be impeded.

“Now, we are talking about Nigeria, which is the focal point; we need to ratify and fully implement in a timely way, the protocol to the African Charter on human and people’s rights on the rights of persons with a disability, also known as the ADPs.”

Commenting, the CEO, Africa Disability Alliance, Mr. Kudakwashe Dube, said he was pleased seeing Nigeria at the forefront of the advocacy process that would lead other countries towards taking action about ratifying and domesticating the ADPs under the convention on the right of a person with disabilities.
“Nigerian government was at the forefront of promoting the adoption of the Africa disability protocols, they fully understand its significance in terms of promoting the rights of people with disabilities. So all we are doing is to support that political and putting on the ground, techniques, and advocacy strategies.”

Moving forward, however, the local organising committee (LOC) came up with technical and legal, policy and advocacy, fundraising, media and publicity think-tank group that would interface with various public-private organisation aimed at ensuring effective streaming of disability issues in all sectors and programs of government had in attendance.

In her remark, the Chair, Africa Down Syndrome Network and Convener Mrs. Rose Mordi, stressed the need for all African countries to adopt and ratify the African protocol.
The effort came after a two-day virtual conference that brought together key stakeholders in Africa, where stakeholders urged Nigerian and other African governments to adopt and ratifying the Africa Disability Protocol (ADP).

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Faruk, says she has forgiven those who accused her of hiding COVID-19 palliatives meant for the poor.

She stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Gusau on Monday in Gusau.

“I am aware many people have made various spurious allegations and accusations against my person and my ministry over the way we distributed Federal Government palliatives to cushion the effect of COVID-19.

“I have always said I am carrying out my duties and responsibilities to the best of my ability and with fairness to all parts of the country.

“Now that they have realized their mistakes, l will only pray to God to forgive us all,” she maintained.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister had earlier paid homage to the Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, where the monarch appealed to the federal government to take second look at the security situation in the state.

“The federal government should support the state in opening more access roads to expose the hideouts of criminal elements and give security operatives easier access to counter all terrorists.

“We should also be considered for more federal appointments because currently, we only have one federal permanent secretary.

“I want to assure you that we will continue to support all federal government programmes geared towards improving the wellbeing of the people,” the emir said.

NAN