Festus Fajemilo Foundation (FFF) has raised an awareness on various disability-inclusive social protection programmes offered by Lagos State government for persons with disabilities in Badagry.
Speaking during the community awareness and sensitisation at Badagry Local Government on Friday, Mr. Afolabi Fajemilo, the Executive Director of the foundation said they were in Badagry to sensitize persons with disabilities and other residents of the Local Government on various social protection interventions being offered by Lagos State government.
INN reports that the project, funded by Disability Rights Fund, is geared towards making social protection disability-inclusive and ensuring its reach to marginalized PWDs in hard-to-reach areas of the state.
Mr Afolabi Fajemilo, Executive Director, FFF
Speaking further, Mr Fajemilo disclosed that Persons with Disabilities in Lagos state yesterday (Thursday) had a validation meeting on Local Government policy framework on PWDs. He said the Nigeria Disability Act, 2018, the Lagos State Special People’s Law, and every other available laws have not made provisions that mandate Local Government Councils to ensure disability inclusion in their functions, policies and programmes.
He stated that the local government disability policy framework is meant to create local laws that ensure there is a disability desk that will attend to all PWDs’ needs. He said the policy framework on local government will be launched on September 14 and all representatives of local government areas and local council development areas are expected to be present at the event.
Yemisi Isado, a deaf person, said the Lagos state government has some provisions on social protection programs that are beneficial to persons with disabilities.
According to her, Lagos state government has provided two seats in all blue buses reserved for people with disabilities in Lagos state as part of social protection support services under Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
Mr Adeola Aina, the vice chairman of the National Association of the Blind, mentioned some social protection programs the Lagos state government has offered PWDs, these include, two free seating arrangements meant for PWDs under Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), free health insurance scheme under Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), free education from primary to higher institutions.
He, however, urged Lagos state government to create more provisions for PWDs in Lagos, according to him, some PWDs like people with Albinism who are suffering from skin cancer are not included in the health insurance scheme of Lagos state government.
Aina also called on Badagry Local Government (BLG) to create a disability desk that will be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of PWDs’ needs.
In his response, Onilude Olusegun Adeniran, Chairman of Badagry Local Government (BLG), represented by his personal assistant, Mr Shittu Waliu, thanked FFF for the enlightenments on social protection provisions by Lagos state government.
Waliu said the local government has established a cordial relationship with association of persons with disabilities in Badagry. He said the chairman has done his part in providing social support for PWDs through funding for social events organised by PWDs and education support among other things. He added that the local government is ready to listen to PWDs’ needs and support where necessary.
He also assured that the local government chairman wil be informed on the need to create a disability desk, adding that there will be a space reserved for Disability desk in the new building when launched.
