The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, has called for a strengthened institutional partnership with the FCT Administration to advance the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.
The Acting Chairman of JONAPWD FCT, Ayoade Beyioku-Alase, made the call during a high-level strategic advocacy visit by the association’s executive leadership to the Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Women and Children Affairs Secretariat, Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, on March 19, 2026, in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, the purpose of the visit was to transition the relationship between the disability community and the FCT Administration from temporary charitable support to a sustainable institutional partnership that promotes inclusion, empowerment, and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.
During the meeting, the association commended the Mandate Secretary for her commitment to disability inclusion and appreciated several initiatives supporting persons with disabilities. These include the Renewed Hope Initiative championed by the First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, which provided financial grants to 250 persons with disabilities in the FCT, as well as the establishment of a Disability Desk within the Secretariat and the ongoing development of the FCT Disability Policy Document.
The JONAPWD FCT leadership also presented a strategic roadmap outlining key priority areas requiring government support. These include the establishment of a functional FCT Agency for Persons with Disabilities, improved access to healthcare services through free health insurance and the provision of professional sign language interpreters in hospitals, enforcement of the five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities in the civil service, improved disability data collection, accessible infrastructure in public buildings, and operational support for the association.
In her response, the Mandate Secretary, Dr. Benjamins-Laniyi, assured the delegation of the FCT Administration’s commitment to advancing disability inclusion. She disclosed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is personally committed to the establishment of an FCT Agency for Persons with Disabilities, noting that support from the World Bank is already underway to facilitate the process.
She further pledged to involve women with disabilities in media advocacy programmes with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to amplify their voices, extend empowerment and welfare support to vulnerable disability communities, and strengthen collaboration with development partners such as ActionAid to promote inclusive development in the FCT.
The Acting Chairman expressed appreciation to members of the association and stakeholders for their continued support, reaffirming JONAPWD FCT’s commitment to working collaboratively with government and non-governmental organisations to advance the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
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