Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to incorporate the needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) into Nigeria’s climate change policies and legislation to ensure inclusive and equitable climate action.
Gatekeepers News reports that the call was made at the Inclusive Climate Action Resilient Education (I-CARE) workshop held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Tajudeen Akanji, a professor of industrial and security education at the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, urged the Federal Government to review and update the Nigeria Climate Change Act 2021 to adequately address the needs of persons with disabilities.
Akanji said the review should align with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure that climate policies adequately protect and accommodate people with disabilities.
Basirat Razaq-Shuaibu, organiser of the workshop, said the symposium was designed to promote policy dialogue on climate change, education and disability planning.
She added that the initiative also sought to strengthen institutional capacity for disability-inclusive and equity-focused research.
Ayodele Adekanbi, director-general of the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, represented by rehabilitation officer Rilwan Babalola, and Joke Sanni, the state commissioner for women affairs and social inclusion, represented by Lateef Oyediji, director of community development, separately emphasised the need for reliable data and deliberate inclusion of PWDs in government policies and programmes.
They noted that persons with disabilities had been considered in recruitment exercises in Oyo State and would also be considered for N-Care stipends.
Muyiwa Abegunde, a workshop panellist and a person with albinism, urged the government to prioritise the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.
He stressed the need to ensure that climate change interventions and resilience programmes were inclusive and did not leave people with disabilities behind.
The five-day workshop brought together researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders from across South-West Nigeria to discuss climate resilience, education and disability-inclusive development.
Participants highlighted the importance of integrating disability considerations into climate policies to ensure that people with disabilities can participate meaningfully in decision-making and benefit from government interventions.
