NCPD To Enforce Implementation Of Disability Act

By Garry Ochigbo

National Commission of Persons with Disabilities, NCPD, has commended the Federal Government for the enactment of the National Disability Act.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, James Lalu who made the call at a forum in Abuja, said the Act will go a long way in promoting the rights, welfare and total inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of life for national development.

According to him, it will also place Nigeria on the global map of comity of nations in the fulfilment of the key obligation required by the united nations convention on the rights of persons living with disabilities as enshrined in president Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

Earlier, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu said the disability Act has made provisions to prohibit all forms of discrimination, marginalisation and abuse on persons with disabilities and mandating Government MDA’s to create strategic public awareness on disability matters.

The minister added that the Act, also contains provisions which recommends the collection of data for PWDs and aggregation of Government for their protection and promotion cutting across health, education, social protection, economic empowerment, employment, access to public transportation, public spaces and infrastructure.

She stressed that all provisions of the disability Act which was enacted in 2018 has given a 5 year notice to allow citizens and government to make adequate preparations before the enforcement date by January 2024.

Edu, emphasized that the Commission has been empowered by president Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda to support and develop relevant regulations to give effect to full implementation of the Act including national accessibility standard to be monitored for total compliance.

She however stressed that the Act also seeks to address and sanction any public and private building that fails to create accessibility for persons living with disabilities for their confort.

Edited By Grace Namiji