By Collins Nnabuife
In order to effectively address the issues of People With Disability (PWDs) and ensure their inclusion, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called for deliberate effort and a positive attitude by all of society.
The Agency’s Director-General, Dr Garba Abari, made the call during a capacity building workshop organised by the Agency for officers of NOA and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the National Disability Act 2018.
He said with the Act and relevant international conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, disability needs and rights are now backed by law in Nigeria.
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Abari said he had a “strong conviction” that PWDs have the capacity to contribute to national development, describing exclusion as unacceptable. In his words, “The National Disability Act 2018 is sufficiently robust to address most issues of PWDs. It is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Social Inclusion in the development process.”
The NOA Chief expressed the commitment of the Agency to extensive nationwide advocacy, public enlightenment, behaviour change communication and feedback to the government on disability rights and needs in line with its statutory mandate. He, therefore, assured that all platforms of the Agency would be effectively deployed accordingly in the weeks ahead.
In a presentation, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, said disability is neither a disease nor a punishment for the wrong done as some perceive it from the moral and religious standpoint but is something that affects persons in all strata of society, irrespective of class or religion. He, therefore, called for public reorientation on disability issues with a view to full inclusion in society.
He said his centre was confident in the power of NOA’s structure across the country as a formidable partner in public sensitisation on disability issues.