The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has stressed the need for reliable disability data to improve government planning, promote inclusive development and strengthen public service delivery across the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ayuba Gufwan, executive secretary of the commission, made the call at a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja to validate revised Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and data collection tools for the National Disability Management Information System (NDMIS).
Gufwan said accurate data would enable the government to identify the needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs), address gaps in service delivery, design targeted interventions and assess the outcomes of programmes.
He explained that the NDMIS was being developed to harmonise disability-related information across the country, noting that its effectiveness would depend on the accuracy and relevance of the data generated for national policy decisions.
The NCPWD boss urged stakeholders to ensure that departmental KPIs reflected their respective responsibilities, measurable achievements and accountability obligations.
Also speaking, Samuel Omoi, country director of Christian Blind Mission (CBM), said the absence of reliable disability data had continued to undermine development planning.
He urged stakeholders to take ownership of the initiative and support public awareness efforts to ensure its success.
Representatives of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) also pledged their support for the initiative.
Gboyega Alesinloye of CHAI expressed optimism that the exercise would contribute to national development, while Olushola Omorawaiye of NIMC pledged personnel training and collaboration in data collection.
Other organisations that pledged cooperation included the ministries of health and social welfare, women affairs and education; the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); the National Population Commission; HISP Nigeria; and GIZ.
During the workshop, Adebukola Adebayo presented an overview of the NDMIS, following which stakeholders adopted the system.
In his closing remarks, Agwai expressed appreciation to the participating ministries, departments and agencies, development partners and NCPWD staff for their contributions to the exercise.
