The group TAF Africa and the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) with architectural design buildings.
The president of the Nigerian Institutes of Architects NIA Arc. Mobolaji Adeniyi said, this memorandum of understanding (MoU) is to jointly advocate for the effective implementation of the PWDs Act 2018 within the building environment in focus on the architectural consideration for People with disabilities across the country.
She stressing that federal government in 2018 signed into law the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, to provides the integration of PWDs, with rights to employment and participation in public life, accessibility to public structures, education, health, and priority, accommodation, and other emergency.
“Our main agenda focus is to unite the key points. The agenda is inclusiveness.
We must design buildings that cater for everybody and ensure that citizens have access to them .”
The Nigerian Institutes of Architects NIA is committed to ensuring that architecture in these countries recognise the importance of inclusiveness in their design. We have also built synergies with TAF African to interact with the person with disabilities to ensure that we provided their special needs to make them comfortable even outside the building.
She emphasised that the collaboration between the TAF Africa Foundation and our institute would seek to effectively develop policy responses and data-driven programming to better the well-being of Persons Living with Disabilities in Nigeria.
“The partnership will promote inclusive policy and strategic development and reforms by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the federal government in Nigeria,” Mobolaji noted.
The group highlighted some of the challenges with people with disabilities (PWDS) of lack of access to toilets facilities and carter for wheelchairs, roads, transportation, voice messages and everything that we need to make them feel belonging to society.
She noted” that we also want to partner with the government to have an audit of public buildings to know the numbers of housing that are main for citizens. Everybody must have access to public buildings that are constructed for both the person with disabilities and non-disabilities in the country.”
“The TAF African and Nigerian Institutes of Architects NIA is committed to providing a high level of excellence in the architectural profession and ensuring the well-being of all Nigerians through their advocacy initiatives.
Also speaking, the CEO/ Founder TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, while making his remarks said, I want to congratulate the institute of Nigerian Institutes of Architects NIA for being sensitive for aligning themselves with the demand of the time for giving women the opportunity to lead the great institution. This also served as the significant ahead tomorrow to mark the international women’s day celebration by the United Nations.
He said, we are delighted in tears of emotions that we have come together not only to do what I’d morally expected of them but also to legally expect that every design building must be inclusive. And from now henceforth every architect on the hands of style of pen to design buildings must be taken to be cognisant for the need for a structural environment to be inclusive for the person with disabilities in the county.
He said, the Nigerian National association (NNAD) in collaboration with the TAF Africa is hold a two days summit on them: Empowering Deaf Learners Advancing Quality Education through Nigerian Sign Language” on the 14-15 March 2014 to address the ongoing issues encounter by the deaf learners in Nigeria educational system.
Deaf education in Nigeria has long grappled with systemic challenges hindering the full integration and development of deaf individuals within the education landscape.
In another development, the Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN) has called for more empowerment and recognition of persons with albinism as well as persons with disabilities in the workplace.
Chairman FCT Chapter of the association, Rex Erame, who made the call when the new executive paid a visit to TAF Africa in Abuja, acknowledged the significant contribution of TAF Africa in nurturing the association and dedication to persons with albinism in Nigeria.
Erame promised to work harmoniously with the executive members to advance the cause of inclusion for PWDs in the country.
Responding, Jake Epelle, founder of TAF Africa emphasised the need for collective commitments of all stakeholders in advancing a more inclusive and equitable environment for persons with Albinism, expressing confidence that the partnership will yield positive results as well as contribute to lasting change for the marginalised community.