A Professor of Industrial and Security Education at the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Tajudeen Akanji, has called on the Federal Government to adopt provisions of the United Nations Climate Change Act, 2021, to address the special needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in climate change policies and interventions.
Akanji made the call during the ongoing Inclusive Climate Action Resilient Education (I-CARE) Workshop in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he emphasised the need for inclusive policies to help persons with disabilities overcome the challenges posed by climate change and its impact on their livelihoods.
The professor, who is also a principal researcher working with Professor Nidhi Singal of the University of Cambridge, said governments at all levels must prioritise the welfare of persons with disabilities by ensuring that climate adaptation and resilience programmes adequately address their needs.
He stressed that people with disabilities should not be left behind in the formulation and implementation of policies designed to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The workshop organiser, Dr Basirat Razaq-Shuaibu, said the symposium was designed to facilitate critical policy dialogue on climate change, education and disability planning in Nigeria.
She explained that the initiative also aimed to strengthen institutional capacity to design and support disability-inclusive, ethical and equity-focused research.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Ayodele Adekanbi, represented by a Rehabilitation Officer, Rilwan Babalola, underscored the importance of gathering reliable data and ensuring that persons with disabilities are adequately considered in government policies and programmes.
Similarly, the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Joke Sanni, represented by the Director of Community Development, Lateef Oyediji, called for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in government interventions.
The state government representatives noted that persons with disabilities had been considered in recruitment exercises in Oyo State and would also be considered in the payment of N-Care stipends.
A panelist and a person with albinism, Muyiwa Abegunde, urged the government to prioritise the rights and needs of persons with disabilities, warning against treating inclusion as an afterthought in policy formulation and implementation.
He emphasised the need for deliberate efforts to respect their rights and ensure their participation in decisions affecting their lives.
The I-CARE Workshop, which commenced on Monday, is scheduled to end on Friday, with participants drawn from states across the South-West, including policymakers and researchers, taking part in discussions on inclusive climate action, education and disability planning.
