By Perpetua Onuegbu 

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called  on the Federal Government to  increase the budgetary allocation for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to foster more inclusive governance in Nigeria.

Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), Executive Director, CISLAC made the call in a statement in Abuja.

According to him, this  is necessary to address the serious socio-economic challenges faced by PWDs and ensure their full participation in Nigeria’s socio-economic and political landscape.

He said democracy as a  system of governance required that every member of the society be treated as equitably and with utmost priority in order to fully thrive as a functioning member of the society.

Adding that  socio-economic and political inclusion of the PWDs in the Nigerian governance system was not only paramount but it was necessary for good governance to prevail in Nigeria.

“Inclusivity in governance through active participation of every member of the society ensures that each member of the society is contributing towards the development of his/her society.

“Persons with disability are not an exception in this regard because of the fundamental rights and the various national, regional and international conventions on the rights of people with disabilities (PWDs) such as the United Nations convention of the rights of people with  disabilities (PWDs).

“While we commend the efforts being put forth by the Federal Government and the National Assembly members to address the challenges being faced by PWDs in Nigeria, it is our contention that more needs to be done in order to adequately cater for their daily needs.

” One key area that the government should give a priority to especially with the current economic realities is the increase in the budgetary allocation of the PWDs.

“Despite the passage of the 2024 appropriation bill, we urge the government to increase the budget of the PWDs drawing from the contingency funds allocated in case of unforeseen circumstances.”

Musa noted that despite the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in 2018, which aims to protect the rights of PWDs and promote their integration into society, implementation has been hampered by inadequate funding.

“The current budget allocations are grossly insufficient to meet the needs of over 30 million Nigerians living with disabilities, leaving many without access to essential services such as education, health care service delivery.

“Employment opportunities and accessible infrastructure. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria continue to face significant barriers that hinder their full participation in society so as to help them exploit their gifts, talents and abilities.

He therefore urged the Federal Government to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the rights and well-being of PWDs by increasing the budget allocation for disability-inclusive programmes.

“We also call on the government to ensure that persons living with disabilities are not discriminated against because despite the existence of the Disability discrimination Act 2018, there is still a serious discrimination of the PWDs.

“Build infrastructure that is accessible to the persons living with disabilities and to also enforce the already existing laws that punishes/sanctions violators of such important provisions.

“Because development of public infrastructure that is accessible to all people regardless of abilities is significant these includes;

“Government buildings, private buildings, bus stops, banks, car parks, parks, hotels,

hospitals and all public building infrastructure, transportations, and information and

communication technologies,”the statement read. (NAN)