By Bunmi Yekini
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), in partnership with the Ford Foundation, has renewed calls for the full implementation of the Disability Act to protect the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Anambra State.
Speaking at a three-day workshop in Awka themed “Ending Barriers Against Niger-Deltans with Disabilities”, Mr. David Anyaele, Executive Director of CCD and Chairman of the Abia State Disability Commission, stressed that Nigeria was still lagging behind in disability rights.
“On Jan. 23, 2019, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, following years of relentless advocacy by disability rights groups and activists,” Anyaele recalled. “In Nigeria, we are 50 years behind when it comes to disability rights, and the world is moving fast. It’s time we provoke hunger for knowledge, awareness, and action.”
Anyaele urged PWDs to be active participants in governance and community development, noting that knowing their rights was the first step toward empowerment. He pointed out gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2022, saying it failed to ensure adequate inclusion of PWDs in host community governance and consultations.
“The PIA provides for host community development and consultations, yet many PWDs are unaware of the opportunities available to them. It is imperative that host communities and oil companies include people with disabilities in their needs assessments, advisory boards, and project implementations,” he said.
He also called on Governor Charles Soludo and the Anambra State House of Assembly to fast-track disability-related legislation, warning that PWDs often bear the brunt of poor infrastructure and environmental impacts of oil exploration.
“We are not merely asking the House of Assembly to pass laws. We are demanding that host communities and oil firms ensure that no one, especially PWDs, is left behind in the development equation,” Anyaele said.
Highlighting penalties under the Act, he added: “The law took 18 years to pass. Now it’s up to us to enforce it and educate others. Discrimination is so normalised in Nigeria that people do not even recognise it anymore. We must challenge that.”
Mr. Ugochukwu Okeke, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra chapter, praised CCD for championing inclusion.
“This workshop has deepened our knowledge by revealing overlooked rights and opportunities enshrined in the PIA and the Disability Act of 2018. Governments at all levels must deepen their support for disability-inclusive development,” Okeke said.