Mohammed Abba Isa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, said president Ahmed Bola Tinubu has mandated his office to implement the newly validated ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Disability Inclusion.
Isa disclosed this at the maiden edition of the meeting of Ministers in charge of Disability Inclusion in West Africa held in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting, was organised to validate the regional action plan on disability inclusion.
A motion was raised by representative from the Gambia calling for adoption of the draft agenda as presented to form basis of proceedings, and was seconded by representative from Sierra Leone.
The priorities areas of the regional action plan included:
- Making disability inclusion a standard for measuring good governance across the West Africa region.
- Establishment of a think-tank which shall comprise of experts and PWDs drawn from different OPDs to advise the Commission on issues relating to disability inclusion.
- Treating disability inclusion as a human rights issue.
- Strengthening the relationship and partnership between the Commission and Development partners; among others.
In his goodwill message, the SSAP stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated his office to implement the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Disability Inclusion.
The senior presidential aide said in order to achieve this, the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, has initiated the Beyond Disability Project to help drive the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan.
According to him, the project aims to promote inclusivity and accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.
“The Beyond Disability Project will be officially launched on June 27, 2024, at the Presidential Banquet Hall, Aso Villa, Abuja, at 11:00 am. We believe that our collaboration with ECOWAS will greatly enhance our efforts towards disability inclusion. We look forward to working closely with you to achieve our shared goals,” the SSAP stated.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Abba Isa further said the Federal Government will soon commence sealing of public buildings that do not make access provisions for Persons with Disabilities.
The senior aide to President Tinubu explained that the grace period for public buildings to comply by providing access to people with disability had elapsed and soon accessibility audit of public buildings and sealing would commence as soon as presidential approval was granted.
While fielding questions from journalists in an aside interview, the SSA to the President said: “A high level technical meeting like this is for experience sharing among the regional Ministers. Disability is a peculiar issue, all the members states have their peculiar challenges that is the reason for the coming together to share experience and that led to the drafting of the Regional Action plan for disability inclusive development and the purpose of this meeting is for that action plan to be ratified and adopted. It is a policy guide and it is in line with the African charter of demand and United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities and the National Disability Act.
“Nigeria has about the highest number of Persons With Disabilities in the region. The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in line with this regional action plan on disability inclusion, and we are going to implement this regional action plan. Mr. President has mandated me to implement this regional action plan. Very soon we are going to launch accessibility committee and a presidential taskforce where we are going to engage with all the MDAs”.
“This has become necessary because the grace period given to MDAs to comply by adjusting their buildings to be disability compliant has elapsed. We are now in the post moratorium and implementation era. Every building that doesn’t comply, we are going to make sure we seal them.”
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Poverty Alleviation Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan who chaired the meeting stated that there was need for the establishment of the ECOWAS agency for disability inclusion.
Mr Enitan said the meeting of ministers in charge of disability inclusion would provide sustainable and inclusive development.
He after announced that there was need to elect a three-man Bureau of which Nigeria is automatically a member.
Thereafter, Liberia, Guinea Bissau and Cote-divoire were elected by the member states present at the meeting.
The P.S further announced the plan of ECOWAS Commission to support two member states with assistive technologies.
Speaking, the representative from Liberia and Head of the Disability Commission in the country commended and applauded Nigeria for taking the lead in terms of achievements and advancement in disability accessibility and inclusivity as witnessed by him from his experience right from the airport to the hotel.
The ECOWAS Commissioner of Humanitarian Development and Social Affairs Professor Fatou Sow assured that the sub-regional body would deploy all the necessary support to ensure social inclusion of the people with disability becomes a reality.
1 comment
Thank you Mr President Sir. This remarkable.