A statement by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) revealed that 24 States in Nigeria are yet to adopt the National Disability Rights Act.
Every year, December 3 is observed as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The observance of this annual event was adopted in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.
According to the United Nations (UN), the purpose of the IDPD is essentially to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and also to increase awareness of the challenges of these groups of persons in every aspect – political, social, economic and cultural life.
The UN noted that an estimated 15% of the over 7 billion people in the world live with some form of disabilities, and developing countries account for 80% of them.
In Nigeria, there are over 25 million persons living with one form of disability or another. That is an average of one out of every eight Nigerians.
Ewang noted in her report that many of the persons living with disabilities in Nigeria face a number of human rights abuses including stigma, discrimination, violence, and lack of access to healthcare, housing, and education.
Alonge, a physically challenged person who recounted her experience, noted that living with such a condition in Nigeria is challenging because of a lack of support services. She said that society looks down on the physically challenged as being less-human or as a never-do-good.
On the part of the Nigerian government to ensure that persons with disabilities are treated rightly, the country ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007 and its Optional Protocol in 2010.
In 2011 and 2015, the National Assembly passed the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2009 but was not signed into law.
However, in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
Even with this, there are still reports about the rights of People Living With a Disability (PLWD) being violated. Last year, Dr. Chike Okogwu alleged that he was prevented from boarding a scheduled flight because of his disability.
In marking this year’s IDPD yesterday, David Anyaele, the Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) expressed worries that after 36 months, 24 states are yet to show commitment to adopting the Disability Rights Act.
David stated that “we are worried that 36 months after the passage of the Disability Rights Act, only 13 States [including the FCT as confirmed by a staff of CCD to Dataphyte in a phone conversation] have demonstrated measures to adopt the Act”.
According to David, the failure to adopt the Act is an indirect endorsement of discrimination and other harmful practices against their citizens with disabilities.
While calling on the 24 State governments yet to adopt the National Disability Rights Act to do so without further delay, the Executive Director of the disabilities rights group has also urged President Buhari to sign into law the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill which was passed by the 9th Assembly in November, noting that the signing of the Bill will remove the barriers that hinder citizens with disabilities from participating in the electoral process on an equal basis with others.