The House of Representatives, led by Rep. Bashiru Dawodu (APC-Lagos), has called on the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, along with religious organizations, to launch comprehensive awareness campaigns addressing discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Dawodu, in his motion, underscored the crucial need to sensitize the public about the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
He expressed concerns about the Federal Ministry’s ineffective promotion of the Prohibition Act 2018, noting that 23 states were yet to domesticate the law.
Citing data from the World Health Organization and World Bank, Dawodu highlighted that Nigeria has an estimated 30 million persons with disabilities.
The Discrimination Against PWDs (Prohibition) Act, 2018, was enacted to ensure the full participation and inclusion of people with disabilities across all sectors of the economy.
The House, adopting the motion, emphasized that persons with disabilities make up about 15 percent of the country’s population and are among the marginalized groups, a violation of Section 36 of the constitution.
Urging immediate action, the House called on the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and religious organizations to raise public awareness about discrimination against PWDs.
Furthermore, the House called upon states in the federation to domesticate the law within their borders and mandated the Committee on Disabilities to ensure compliance.