Don Urges FG To Review Nigeria’s Climate Change Act
A Professor of Industrial and Security Education, Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Tajudeen Akanji has called on the federal Government to update the provisions of the Nigeria Climate Change Act, 2021 to include adequate provision for the special needs of Persons with Disabilities, PWDs in the society in line with the UN Convention on the rights of people living with disabilities.
Professor Akanji, who ithe Principal Researcher, Nigeria, working in collaboration with Nidhi Singal, a Professor of Disability Education, University of Cambridge , who is the Principal Researcher UK, made the policy recommendation during the ongoing Inclusive Climate Action Resilient Education, I-CARE Workshop in Ibadan.
The stakeholders at the event stressed the need for governments at all levels to make life easy for people living with disabilities for them to overcome the challenges of climate change and livelihoods.
The organiser of the workshop, Dr Basirat Razaq-Shuaibu explained that the symposium is to facilitate critical policy dialogue on climate change, education, disability planning in Nigeria and strengthen institutional capacity to design and support disability-inclusive, ethical and equity-focused research.
The Director General, Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Ayodele Adekanbi represented by a Rehabilitation Officer, Mr. Rilwan Babalola, and the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Joke Sanni, represented by the Director Community Development, Mr. Lateef Oyediji stressed the need for data gathering, special consideration and inclusion of people with disabilities in government policies, adding that they were considered in Oyo State recruitment and would be considered in payment of N-Care stipends.
One of the Panelists and a person with Albinism, Mr. Muyiwa Abegunde appealed to the government to prioritize and respect the rights of people with disabilities, as against after-thought approach.
The I-CARE Workshop which began on Monday will end on Friday, had participants drawn from South West states, policy makers, and researchers.
