Poverty Alleviation Programmes : House Seeks Inclusion Of PWDs

By Oduyemi Odumade

Amidst the diverse challenges facing Persons with Disabilities, a pressing issue that demands attention and action is their often-overlooked struggle for inclusivity and equal opportunities.

To this end, Members of the house of representatives have called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to create a stand-alone status for Persons with Disability in every programme of the Ministry.

The House also called for a Review of the National Social Register to accommodate Persons With Disabilities.

These resolutions are sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance “on the need for recognition persons with disability in poverty alleviation programmes of government sponsored by Member representating Oshodi/Isolo Federal Consistency 1 in Lagos State Bashiru Ayinla, Dawodu at plenary in Abuja

In leading the debate, Mr. Dawodu stated that the Act on the discrimination against persons with disability was signed in 2019 and a relevant charter signed in 2023.

He noted that these provisions have continuously been violated in relations to the social and poverty intervention programmes of the government.

‘The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act 2018 was assented into law by former President Muhammed Buhari in 2019.

‘The House also notes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the instrument of Ratification of the protocol to the African charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disability in Africa on 19″ October, 2023.

“The House Further notes that the Federal Executive Council has approved the creation of a Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund of 5Billion dollars annually”.

“The House is disturbed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation recently launched the “Renewal Hope Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) without setting aside for Persons With Disabilities which violated the Disability Act 2018. This program involves the transfer of N1Trillion at N25,000 to 15 million households”.

“The house is also disturbed that most poverty alleviation provrammes carried out by most State Governments excluded people with Disabilities.

The Lawmaker insisted that failure to involve PWDs in the Poverty Alleviation programmes would lead to persistent poverty and further widen the Socio-economic in- equality in Nigeria.

The house thereafter called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as all State Governments to include people with disabilities in all such intervention programmes nationwide.

Edited By Grace Namiji