We Have Plans To Make Education Attractive To PWDs, James Lalu.

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. James Lalu says the commission has plans in the pipes to make education more attractive to all Persons with Disability in Nigeria.

Lalu disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a 5-Day workshop on curriculum and inclusion development held at Treasure Suites and Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday.

According to Mr Lalu, the Commission’s aims for the workshop is in line with the section 18 of the discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Act which empowers the Commission to make reviews of the national educational curriculum to make for a whole and more inclusive curriculum.

His words, “this workshop is intended to correct discrimination in the academic sector from the root.”

The Executive Secretary, while addressing the participants remarked that “everyone attending the event is an expert in his own field. He charged participants that as they have been given a platform to make the necessary review and forward the recommendations to the appropriate body responsible for such, they should seize the opportunity.

Lalu lauded educational institutions for the enormous impact they had made and are still making in building people. He added that without education he wouldn’t be where he is today. His words, “I’m where I’m today because of the education I acquired.”

Mr. Lalu explained that the responsibilities given to him was to ensure education is made attractive to PWDs which will in turn give them the needed platform to achieve anything in the society while contributing their quota in nation building.

According to him, general studies are impacting several current affairs students in our universities today. In that regard, we want to develop a curriculum that will impact knowledge about disability – one that is aimed at promoting inclusion.

James also said that the Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouq, gave the commission a responsibility to ensure all out of school children with disabilities go back to school. He assured that by next year the commission would come up with various programs in the area of education. According to him, these programs will not be limited to universities alone. They will equally cover primary, secondary and other tertiary institutions.

Speaking further, James explained that a section of the Disability Act stipulated free education for PWDs, starting from primary to the university level. He assured of the Commissions’ plans to partner with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure every State in Nigeria set up at least one special school that would be free for all PWDs’.

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“Plans are underway to build an app that would aid quick reporting of discrimination of all forms against PWDs, he said that the Commission has established partnership with the Nigerian Police Force through office of the IGP. He stressed that very soon all police stations in the country will have a disability desks in their various stations to aid the seamless fight against discriminations of PWDs.”

While wishing participants great deliberations Lalu charged them to endeavor to come up with a curriculum that is both inclusive and beneficial to all PWDs.

Dr. Ademokoya Julius a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, in a goodwill message to the gathering commended the efforts so far made by the commission within a short period of time.

While stressing the timeliness of the assignment, he noted that the workshop is coming at a time the National Universities Commission, NUC is organizing a curriculum review.

“To all the disability community out there, this is for you, I must say this is a wonderful thing for all of us and it will go a long way in impacting the present generation and those yet unborn”, he said.

Julius encouraged his colleagues to prepare for the great tasks ahead of them. He also gave assurance they would do everything humanly possible to give their best.

Dr Ikwo Okon, from the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) said she was marveled at what the Commission was able to achieve in a short period of time. She assured of NCCE’s continuous support and partnership.

Okon further explained that the NCCE has in the past developed a particular curriculum that was meant for special needs education which, according to her is totally inclusive. She assured that whatever is developed at the workshop will be adopted by the Commission to ensure the right curriculum is captured and integrated.

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Mr Ishaku Adamu, National President of the Blind Association expressed gratitude to be a part of the well wishers. He congratulated the Commission for their good works.

He went on to explain that in the course of advocating for the Disability law in Nigeria, a major request of PWDs is that the person to head the Commission must come from amongst the community because according to him, it’s he that wears the shoes who knows where it pinches most.

Adamu expressed gratitude that the commission focused more on issues pertaining to PWDs because the Executive Secretary himself is a member of the community. He knows our problems and where best to seek and offer solutions.

His words, “we look forward to a day where our young ones in universities will be adequately educated to understand what disability is, how inclusion works, and what are the things needed to make inclusion achievable. School is the best place where issues like this are to be learnt.

“We are fully in support of this idea of curriculum review”.

Rev. Sister Dr Juliana Bodang of the University of Jos, expressed gratitude at the progress being made in the disability community. She noted that this curriculum when developed will put to rest the issue of exclusion, thereby making all universities not only inclusive but accessible for PWDs.

Acknowledging the efforts of the Executive Secretary in meeting with VCs of some universities, Dr. Juliana suggested that more effort be geared towards ensuring the initiative cover all universities in Nigeria.

She stressed that the move is a right step in the right direction as it will go a long way in educating children about disability.

The academic-clergy concluded by noting that all PWDs are part and parcel of the society, therefore the issue of discrimination and exclusion needn’t arise.