Mr James Lalu, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPWD), says no fewer than 90, 000 Persons With Disability (PWD) has been enrolled in the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Lalu disclosed this at a news conference to mark one year anniversary of the commission on Wednesday, in Abuja.
He also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari and Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for making the dreams of PWD come true.
“While 50, 000 of PWD are incorporated into the Conditional Cash Transfer, and will start to receive their alert soon. Also, about 40,000 have been integrated into the N-Power programme, all under the NSIP.
” Since Nigeria got its independence in 1960, we never had a President who loved PWD like President Buhari. He showed inclusive governance and the disability community will never forget him.
“Also, we will never forget Farouq, who fought to ensure that the Commission came into existence and achieved a lot in the past one year. She has been keeping us on our feet by asking questions and effective monitoring.
” However, the commission is committed to ensuring that accessibility of minimum standard is integrated into the National Building Code across the country. This will help building structures that will be disability friendly,” Lalu said.
He also stressed that capacity of engineers across the federation would be build on that regard.
He said that education was a right of all PWD, adding that six model schools would be established across the six geopolitical zones of the country to take care of their right to education.
He explained that the commission was making effort to ensure that PWD enjoys free education from primary to secondary school across the federation.
“In 2022, scholarships would be provided for PWD who are qualify to study within and outside the country. Our commitment to this makes us to talk to British Commission for support.
“Some PWD are preparing to leave Nigeria and a lot.of them will be leaving for UK next year on scholarships.
“Our commitment to this has led us to open a partnership with two universities in the United States to provide education for PWD from Nigeria.
“Similarly, our commitment to international technological transfer is tie to education. We are strategising how we can push our people go and learn technical skills that they can bring back to help the disability community,” Lalu said.
He said that the commission was partnering with the Nigeria Police to enforce the law on discrimination of PWD, adding that discrimination against PWD is a crime and will be dealt with in all police formation across the country.
According.to him, the police officers will be trained in sign language to ensure enhanced communication and effective enforcement of the law and how to help PWD who are discriminated.
“Let me quickly add that while the sign language in the northern part of the country is different, the ones in the eastern and western regions are also different; we are going to harmonise them and have a single sign language for Nigeria,” he said.
Lalu said that the commission was making effort to ensure the effective domestication of the rights of PWD across all states of the federation.
He added that the commission would also push for the provision of mass housing for PWD via Federal Housing Authority, Federal Mortgage Bank and the FCT Minister.
Lalu said the commitment of the Commission to ensuring that five per cent ratio of employment in government ministries, departments and agencies were allocates to PWD could not be over-emphasised.
He appreciated the media and enjoyed them to continue to propagate the activities of the Commission. (NAN)