The budget of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, needs significant improvement on behalf of 35.5 million Nigerians who fall within the PWDs category, Humanitarian Minister Betta Edu says.
The Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, harps on the accessibility mediums for persons with disability in all Public and Private buildings in the country and said they are celebrating the five years of having a law in Nigeria that protects PWDs.
“From the 2024 budget moving forward, we are pleading with the very dynamic and uncommon leadership we have at the National Assembly to please improve on the budget for the Commission for Disabled Persons in Nigeria,” she said.
The Minister made the call on Wednesday when she declared open the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the Sheu Yaradua Centre, Abuja.
She presented assistive devices to people with disabilities.
Some of the devices presented include Orbit readers, collapsible guide claim, iPhone Pro Max with optical characters, typewriters jaw screen readers, laptops with jaws, the talking watch, digital magnifiers, low vision lamps, the charisma share water, the beauty blocks for CWA, the talking toys for CWA and the doorbell for the deaf.
Others are the speech to text for the deaf, the alerting devices, the digital hearing aids, the HP laptops, sewing machines, hairdryers, air cleaners, motorized wheelchairs of different types and clutches.
Dr Edu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already directed that 10% of all the intervention programs of the Ministry be given to the PWDs.
“President Tinubu is prepared and committed to doing everything possible to see that PWDs take center stage in our country’s development,” she added.
“We have the president’s backing, we must protect the persons with disability, so we are calling strongly for the creation of all the accessibility mediums for persons with disability in all Public and Private buildings in the country.”
While she said “Doing this will give PWDs equal rights and voices as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she said “I want to use this medium to call on our state governments to establish, and for those who have established already, to domesticate persons with disabilities law and Commissions across the country.”
According to her, this will enable the ministry to have seamless programs that can get to the grassroots in all the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, James Lalu said President Tinubu has given them what he described as a “BETTA HAND”
In his words: “She takes this Commission as a priority in the Ministry and we are very grateful,” Lalu said.
Highlights were Launching of the Gazetted and simplified copy of the Disability regulation Law, inspection of the exhibition stands showcasing items manufactured by People with Disability.
Dignitaries at the event were Senator representing the Imo West Senatorial district Sen Osita Izunaso, Chairman, of the House of Representatives Committee on Persons with Disabilities, Dr Basheer Dauda, SA to President on Disability as well as development partners who have been working with the Commission.