NOA seeks social inclusion for PWDs
The Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, has called for inclusion of the rights and needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) into all policies and programmes to promote social inclusion.
Abari made this call at a one-day capacity building on the Roles of Stakeholders in the Implementation of the National Disability Act 2018 in Abuja on Tuesday. The event was in partnership with the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CDD).
The director-general said that the National Disability Act 2018 was birthed as an intervention to the various unmet critical needs of PWDs in Nigeria.
According to him, the National Disability Act 2018 is a welcome development, as it is sufficiently robust to address most issues of persons with disabilities.
He said social inclusion for persons with disabilities included putting their needs as the country prepared for the general elections, policies and programmes and security of their lives amongst others.
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The director-general restated the agency’s commitment toward promoting the vision of the CDD as a lead organisation advocating for disability rights adding that NOA’s role of public enlightenment would be used to step up awareness creation to tiers of government and rural areas.
The Executive Director of CDD, Mr David Anyaele, called for the empowerment of persons with disabilities, saying all stakeholders must support the full implementation of the National Disability Act.
Dr Comfort Adeosun, representative, Office of the Civil Service of the Federation, said the disability rights law was being implemented by giving five per cent of all recruitments to persons with disabilities.
DSP Patrick Effiom, Disability Desk Officer, Nigeria Police Force, said the force had established disability desk offices in all police stations for persons with disabilities to access policing services.
Mr Kola Ogunbiyi, a keynote speaker, spoke about the National Disability Act, calling on all stakeholders to create awareness for all accessibility to all public places for persons with disabilities.
