From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPWD) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have joined forces to produce comprehensive and inclusive data on persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
NCPWD Executive Secretary, James Lalu, announced this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Tuesday. He emphasized that the collaboration would address the issue of inaccurate and speculative figures often cited by Nigerians and the international community.
Lalu highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare of persons with disabilities, citing his signing of the instrument for rectification of the Africa Protocols on disability within two months of assuming office. He called on stakeholders to provide accurate data on PWDs to enable the government to develop and document it effectively.
“It is mandatory for the commission to do profile services for PWD to know the data identify people benefiting from the services and those who are yet to benefit in order to know Where to put pressure after identifying the gap,” he said.
The Statistician of the Federation, Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, represented by the Director of Corporate Planning and Statistical Coordinator, National Bureau of Statistics, Austen Anipakorah, acknowledged the existence of data on PWDs collected by NBS through surveys on poverty, myth, and children with disabilities. However, he recognized the need for more comprehensive data.
“We are hopeful that with this take-off action, it will be actualized,” Anipakorah concluded.