The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has said that only 4,000 out of 35.5 million persons with disabilities registered with the commission.
James Lalu, executive secretary of the commission, stated this on Monday in Kano during the issuance of permanent certificates to PWDs in the North-West region.
Represented by Ikem Uchegbulam, director of compliance and enforcement of the commission, Mr Lalu said the programme was to sensitise PWDs on the benefits of certification.
He said the exercise was in line with Section 22 of the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities Act.
According to him, PWDs can obtain a permanent certificate from the commission, while temporary certifications for those unable to use a body part are being issued by medical doctors.
“In addition to acting as a means of identification, the act has made the certificate a legal requirement for obtaining remedy from the law court, hence the need for possession of the certificate,” he said.
He urged all Nigerians with a disability to obtain the certificate to fully access its benefits.
Mr Lalu said only PWDs with valid certificates could receive and seek treatments as stated in the Disability Act.
The secretary urged the public to seek the right advice from the commission with respect to the construction of accessible structures for PWDs.
Musa Muhammad, chairman of the Joint National Association of People With Disabilities in Kano State, who spoke on behalf of the members, lauded the commission for exercising as well as promoting disability inclusion.
He urged public and private institutions to ensure that infrastructure-friendly facilities were made available to aid their movements.
The chairman also enjoined their members to register and collect the certificate, adding that only PWDs with valid certificates could receive and seek treatments as stated in the Disability Act.
(NAN)
5 comments
It’s disheartening that the community of person with disabilities and being celebration in 3rd of December 2023 .it will be considering about the less privileged situation and nongovernmental organizations.. what did you want us to do with 3.5milion population?. That’s what I’m suggesting?
Thanks for your questions
Musa Shaga doesn’t work hard in that field. Did he make any awareness campaign on how to get access to the NCPWD register? Did he call a state stakeholders meeting since he emerged that office? So if he can not do that he has no mouth to talk that PWDs are not registered
Please call the attention of PWDs to wake-up and know what is going wrong in Kano state
This is very low,4,000 out of 35,000,000 PWDs.That means there’s is no proper Strategy for the registration of PWDsin Nigeria
Include me sir
We realy appreciate this great achieve, and i also advice the regulatories body concern to make this certificate available so that the members can get it as easy as possible over the nation. We thank the federal govnerment for these greate effort.