The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities has called on the Federal Government to allocate at least ₦1 trillion annually to support the welfare and development of persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
JONAPWD National President Abdullah Usman made the demand Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement forum on the rights, inclusion and meaningful participation of persons with intellectual, psychological and hearing disabilities.
Usman said the population of persons with disabilities was large enough to justify increased government funding, noting that it was higher than the population of some states.
“My demand is ₦1 trillion to be at least the budget of persons with disabilities.
"I think ₦500 billion is small for the community of persons with disabilities,” he said.
“Can’t you see that the budget of some states will reach close to that, and then the population of persons with disabilities is more than in many states in this country,” Usman added.
He also called on the government to ensure that all categories of persons with disabilities enjoy equal fundamental rights with people without disabilities.
“The general idea that we want to lay with the agency, generally, is for the President of the Republic of Nigeria, and other members of the Executive Council of Nigeria, to know that all the categories of persons with disabilities need to have an equal fundamental human right with our colleagues, persons with no disabilities in this country,” he said.
Usman said persons with disabilities include deaf, blind and psychosocially disabled people, among others.
He also urged the government to recognise the size and diversity of the disability community when planning policies and budgets.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Isa, said the government was working to improve funding and support for persons with disabilities.
“It’s not about the money, but what we are supposed to be advocating is inclusive budgeting,” Isa said.
He said government agencies had clear mandates to implement disability-related policies, while the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities should monitor their performance.
“What we are looking at is proper funding for the commission,” Isa said, adding that the government was “fully committed to advancing disability inclusion.”
He also said the administration had included persons with disabilities in various social intervention programmes and was building rehabilitation centres.
The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is responsible for promoting, protecting and enforcing the rights of Nigerians with disabilities and ensuring their inclusion and equal participation in society.
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