The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) hosted a transformative three-day capacity-building workshop in Ondo State, focused on aligning the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 with disability rights and inclusion. The event aimed to deepen understanding of both the PIA and disability-related laws, while culminating in the development and validation of the Ondo State Demand Charter on PWDs’ Inclusion in the PIA.
The workshop attracted a cross-section of key stakeholders, including traditional rulers, heads of government ministries and agencies, leaders of the disability community, and representatives from Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs). Their collective insights and experiences enriched the dialogue and strengthened the commitment to addressing the long-standing gaps that have excluded Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from the benefit structures associated with the petroleum industry.
Setting the tone for the workshop, Mr. Godwin Unumeri, Acting Director at CCD, welcomed participants and emphasized the programme’s importance in fostering inclusive development that leaves no one behind. He reaffirmed CCD’s vision of a society where all citizens, regardless of their physical or mental condition, are actively included in national growth and policy implementation.
In his remarks, Hon. David O. Anyaele, Founding Director of CCD, called on stakeholders to harness the power of Nigeria’s legal frameworks—particularly the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act—to drive systemic inclusion. He maintained that engaging government and institutional actors through these legislative instruments offers a strategic pathway to reducing inequality and ensuring meaningful participation for PWDs in the country’s development processes.
The workshop featured several high-profile dignitaries, including Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, Secretary to the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC); His Royal Majesty, Oba Oladimeji Afolabi of Igbokoda; His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeoye Olawale of Araromi; Mrs. Folashade Arise, Chairperson of the Ondo State Agency for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities; Prince Adewale Ikuesan, Advisory Secretary of the Ogborikodo HCDT; and Mr. Franklin Oloniju, Executive Director of Life and Peace Development Organisation (LAPDO). These stakeholders praised CCD’s leadership and intentionality, noting that the initiative has opened a new chapter in advancing the rights of PWDs in oil-producing communities across the state.
Throughout the three days, participants were engaged in deep conversations and trainings on a range of topics, including disability rights awareness, the structure and allocation of host community funds, the persistent barriers facing Niger-Deltans with disabilities, and an assessment of how well stakeholders understood the PIA in the context of disability inclusion. The event reached its high point with the co-creation and formal validation of the Ondo State Demand Charter on the Inclusion of PWDs in the Petroleum Industry Act Benefit Structures.
The Charter emphasized the need for inclusive employment practices within regulatory agencies and HCDTs, called for new laws that explicitly mandate disability inclusion in the PIA framework, and advocated for the appointment of PWDs into key decision-making bodies such as host community development boards and advisory committees. It also demanded that community development projects be accessible to all and that PWDs be actively involved in the planning stages of community needs assessments.
Participants and organizers alike described the workshop as a groundbreaking effort, praising CCD for its proactive approach to institutionalizing inclusive governance. As one of the most comprehensive initiatives of its kind, the programme marks a significant step toward embedding the rights and voices of PWDs into the heart of Nigeria’s extractive industry, ensuring that development is truly inclusive and equitable for all.
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1 comment
Deafness and dumb