The Cedar Seed Foundation (CSF) has organized a training to equip youth with disabilities with relevant knowledge on civic participation and capacity building to enable them take active part in leadership, politics and governance.
The training, according to Shedrack Danladi, Project Officer of the foundation, is intended to help them contribute meaningfully to their immediate community and the nation at large.
Danladi disclosed this to Inclusive News Network at the end of the 2-day event on Tuesday 7, February 2023. The training, co-sponsored by MacArthur and Ford Foundations, was implemented by Leap Africa and Nigeria Youths Futures Fund.
Danladi noted: “The participation of youth with disabilities in politics, leadership, democracy and governance is very low.”
According to the project officer, “an increase in participation of youth with disabilities in politics, leadership, democracy and governance that brings positive changes in Nigeria is what we seek to achieve.”
Danladi urged the media to mainstream issues that affect participation of young PWDs in politics.
He further disclosed that the foundation has series of activities designed to engage the grassroots on this project.
Citing one instance, he said: “aside the two-day training, we will engage 1,035 youths, mostly youths with disabilities, to strengthen their capacity on civic education, youth participation in politics and leadership”.
We will equally establish youths platforms to sensitize and support active participation of youth in politics, leadership and governance.
The project officer tasked government on the need to ensure full implementation of legislations and policies that make special provisions for participation of persons with disabilities in politics and leadership – the Nigeria Disability Act and clause 54 of the Electoral Act 2022, for example.
Danladi noted that from discovery during the training, most youth with disabilities are willing to participate in politics and leadership however they get discouraged because of stigmatization and other barriers which prevent them from participation.