A disability rights advocate, Abubakar Labaran, has called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Nasarawa State to immediately implement the five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities (PWDs), urging government institutions to end discriminatory employment practices.
Labaran made the call in a statement demanding compliance with the directive reportedly issued by the Nasarawa State Governor, stressing that persons with disabilities must be given fair and equal opportunities in public sector employment.
He cited the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights instruments, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), as legal frameworks that protect the rights of persons with disabilities to equality, non-discrimination and employment.
The disability rights advocate also urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), alongside relevant national and international human rights organisations, to take appropriate action against alleged exclusion. He called for investigations into complaints of discrimination where necessary and the enforcement of existing disability rights laws.
Labaran expressed concern that persons with disabilities continued to face exclusion from employment opportunities, insisting that they should not be denied access to jobs and other benefits available to other members of society.
He warned that continued failure to address the alleged exclusion could prompt disability advocates and affected persons to organise a peaceful protest to demand justice, accountability and compliance with applicable laws.
Reaffirming the urgency of the demand, Labaran called on the relevant authorities to move beyond directives and commitments to ensure that the employment quota translates into tangible opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities.
“Disability rights are human rights,” he declared, emphasising the need for equal treatment and inclusive employment practices across government institutions.
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