The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NCPWD

  • Fed Govt okays 500% budget increase for disability commission

    Fed Govt okays 500% budget increase for disability commission

    The Federal Government has increased the 2024 budgetary allocation of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) by 500 per cent of what it received in 2023.

    Executive Secretary (ES) of the Commission, Mr. James Lalu, dropped the hint in Abuja during a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    He was speaking on how the disability community had fared in the one year administration of President Bola Tinubu,

    The ES said: “The administration of President Tinubu is truly committed to providing opportunities for People Living with Disabilities (PwDs).

    “The commission has continued to receive all the necessary support from the administration to ensure that PwDs are carried along.

    “Since the coming of the Renewed Hope administration, there are some deliberate initiatives the president put in place to improve access to governance and quality of service to persons with disabilities.”

    Lalu recalled that, as soon as the President assumed office on May 29, 2023, he made request on the instrument of reactivation of the African Union Protocol on Disability.

    “The president did not waste time, he went ahead to sign the instrument, demonstrating Nigeria’s commitment towards improving the quality of lives of PwDs which is part of the international treaty.

    “As I am talking to you, Nigeria is a full-time member-state on issues of Disabilities as regarding African Protocol on Disability,” he said.

    Read Also: Communique seeks establishment of disability commissions

    Lalu said Tinubu equally created the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Disability Affairs to ensure that PwDs are carried along in governance.

    “Just recently, there was approval from the President for the full enforcement of Accessibility Law.

    “This is a policy document, created primarily to provide standardisation for accessibility facilities for PwDs in public buildings and all the build environments as well as transportation.

    “The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities at the moment is setting all the structure that are required for the full enforcement of this accessibility regulations.

    “This is going to empower the Commission to monitor compliance, seal buildings and where necessary, invite erring party or organisations.

    “The commission is also empowered by the law to do investigation, prosecute and sanction, where appropriate.”

  • Commission distributes palliatives to persons with disabilities in Abuja

    Commission distributes palliatives to persons with disabilities in Abuja

    The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) has provided essential food assistance to two hundred individuals with disabilities, offering each recipient 5kg of rice, 5kg of beans, sugar, salt, and 2 litres of cooking oil.

    This support aims to alleviate the challenges posed by the escalating food prices.

    James David Lalu, the Executive Secretary for Persons with Disabilities, personally distributed the relief items in Abuja.

    He commended President Bola Tinubu for recognizing the needs of persons with disabilities across the nation and for empowering them with these vital food provisions.

    He stated that people with disability need this assistance at ‘this particular time considered the high cost of commodities in the country.’

    Read Also: Edo governorship: INEC, centre make case for persons with disabilities

    Lalu said: “The distribution will be done in the six geopolitical zones of the country starting from Abuja. Considering the high cost of living presently, the disabled in society are finding it difficult to cope which is the reason for these palliatives. They really need to know that they are as important in society as any other person.

    “All the two hundred beneficiaries went home with all the food items mentioned. Rice, beans groundnut oil, salt and sugar. These can be repeated quarterly until the economy stabilizes and they begin to fend for themselves again.”

    He added that the commission is working round the clock to ensure the production of assistive devices for the disabled in the country, instead of importing from countries around they have considered that production of these devices in Nigeria will be vest and world considering the hike in the dollar and the pricing in Nigeria presently.

    He stated: “In 2022 the commission committed over three hundred million naira to purchasing of assistive device. In 2024 it is expected that the commission will spend six hundred million in the procurement of this same assistive device again, which is why the commission is moving to ensure production of these devices in Nigeria. It is possible and can be done with good assistance.

    “A lot of persons with disability are very innovative and creative, once given the maximum support they will produce the best of these devices. I have been receiving proposals from the disabled community and have invited a lot of them for interactions to see how they can produce this equipment, and they are willing to give the best.”