…30 million Nigerians living with disabilities, leaving many without access to essential services
By Lubem Gena, Abuja
A call has been made to the Federal Government to ensure adequate budgetary provision towards promoting the inclusivity of People With Disabilities (PWDs).
The call was made by the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa in a press statement made available to News Headquarters in which he urges the government ensure that such budgets are captured in the 2024 supplementary budget and the upcoming2025 national budget.
According to him, such provision will positively impact on the fortunes of the targeted beneficiaries as it will promote inclusivity in Nigeria’s governance processes.
This crucial step, he said, “is necessary to address the serious socio-economic challenges faced by PWDs and ensure their full participation in Nigeria’s socio-economic and political landscape. This is considering the limited funds allocated to cater for the needs of the PWDs.
“Democracy as the systems of governance requires that every member of the society be treated as equitably and with utmost priority in order to fully thrive as a functioning member of the society. Socio-economic and political inclusion of the PWDs in the Nigerian governance system is not only paramount but it is necessary for good governance to prevail in Nigeria. Inclusivity in governance through active participation of every member of the society ensures that each member of the society is contributing towards the development of his/her society.
“Persons with disability are not an exception in this regard because of the fundamental rights and the various national, regional and international conventions on the rights of people with disabilities (PWDs) such as the United Nations convention of the rights of people with disabilities (PWDs)”.
While commending the efforts being put forth by the federal government and the National Assembly members to address the challenges being faced by PWDs in Nigeria, he added that CISLACs contention that more needs to be done is in order to adequately cater for their daily needs.
“One key area that the government should give a priority to especially with the current economic realities is the increase in the budgetary allocation of the PWDs. Despite the passage of the 2024 appropriation bill, we urge the government to increase the budget of the PWDs drawing from the contingency funds allocated in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Despite the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in 2018, which aims to protect the rights of PWDs and promote their integration into society, implementation has been hampered by inadequate funding.
“The current budget allocations are grossly insufficient to meet the needs of over 30 million Nigerians living with disabilities, leaving many without access to essential services such as education, health care service delivery, employment opportunities and accessible infrastructure”.
He explained that ‘PWDs in Nigeria continue to face significant barriers that hinder their full participation in society so as to help them exploit their gifts, talents and abilities in order to effectively contribute towards the development of the country.
He maintained that some of the serious challenges faced by the PWDs includes limited access to education where many children and adults with disabilities are deprived of quality education due to inadequate and inaccessible facilities, lack of proper skills acquisition programs tailored to cater for their needs, lack of trained and qualified teachers, and discriminatory practices in the society which results in high illiteracy rates among PWDs that limits their potentials and employment and deprive them of employment opportunities’.
“Another serious challenge being faced by persons living with disabilities (PWDs) revolves around unemployment and underemployment of the PWDs, where they experience higher unemployment rates compared to their non-disabled counterparts, and in the current economic realities in the country it is pivotal for the government to ensure that increasing the budget allocation of the PWDs will greatly impact on their lives which will then contributes to national development.
“We are living at a time when even the people who are abled that are employed often find themselves in low-paying and insecure jobs, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and social exclusion.
“Inaccessible health care service delivery is another major issue that is hindering the effective participation of persons living with disabilities which has a great consequences on their overall health because many healthcare facilities in Nigeria are not equipped with the necessary technologies to cater for the specific needs of PWDs and this lack of accessibility to health infrastructures and facilities for specialized care exacerbates health disparities and reduces life expectancy among PWDs.
“This contributes to the growing sentiment and bias of social exclusion and discrimination of the PWDs who frequently face stigmatization and serious discrimination in various aspects of life, including public spaces, workplaces, and within their communities. This marginalization impedes their ability to participate fully in civic activities and contribute to national development and we call on the government to address these challenges”.
CISLAC recommended that urgent and responsible steps need to be taken to address the plight of the PLWDs Viz; demonstration of a genuine commitment to the rights and wellbeing of PLWDs; increase in the budgetary allocation for their education; adequate health care facilities/services and building infrastructures that is accessible to the persons living with disabilities and to also enforce the already existing laws that punishes/sanctions violators of such important provisions, among others.
