The minister explained that the task force will soon be constituted and will work diligently to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
The Nigerian Government has stated that any public buildings across the nation lacking proper accessibility for persons with disabilities will be shut down in 2024.
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu made this known while speaking during the commemoration of the 2023 International Day for Persons with Disabilities, stressing the need for public buildings to provide proper access for persons with disabilities, eliminating the challenges they often face in navigating these spaces
The minister explained that the task force will soon be constituted and will work diligently to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
She added that the allocated funds for the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities were far from sufficient to meet the needs of the 35 million Nigerians with disabilities.
According to her, persons with disabilities take centre stage in the development of Nigeria, and their contributions remain foremost.
President Bola Tinubu signed the African Charter for persons with disabilities, ensuring their rights are protected.
She said, “We are celebrating five years of the law protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. This law must be domesticated in all states of Nigeria.
“We call upon all members of state assemblies and governors to expedite action. Today is significant; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved 10% of every intervention in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty to be directed to persons with disabilities.
“Governors and state assemblies must expedite action to create these commissions. When we give him the list to create, he will process it smoothly from state to national.
“There are 21 programs, and 10% has been allocated to persons with disabilities. However, we’re aware that the budget presentation and approval for 2024 are approaching.
“We plead with our dear National Assembly members, our very super chairmen, to improve the budget allocation for the disability commission in the 2024 budget presentation. It is low and unacceptable.
“On behalf of 35 million Nigerians in this category, we plead with the dynamic leadership at the National Assembly to improve this allocation. The voice of the president, mine, and that of 35 million Nigerians in this category stand behind this plea.
“On World Disability Day, themed “Renewing Hope Together for a Disability Inclusive Society,” I love this Hall at the Shehu Yar Adua Center. One of the reasons is, unlike other public and private buildings in Nigeria, they do not have facilities that will support persons with disabilities. Even the federal secretariats and several offices where people work lack accessibility. Let’s lead by example; the law said so, and we are not begging; nobody is doing us a favour.
“The task force will soon move to ensure that every public building in Nigeria provides access for persons with disabilities. They do not need to stress to get to where they need to be. The president is already working on signing it. Once we constitute, we are sending the full task force out,” the statement added.
