The administration of President Bola Tinubu remained committed to working with partners like, the National Assembly, Sustainable Development for Africa Youth Initiative (SuDAyi) and all relevant stakeholders to make sustainable development a reality for all young Nigerians and Africans at large.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa said this during the unveiling of SuDAyi at the instance of the House Committee on Disability Matters in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Speaking through a representative, Lillian, Isa said his office was supportive of the initiative and ready to collaborate with SuDAyi in every possible way towards empowering youths, especially those living with disabilities.
“At the heart of this initiative lies the shared vision that aligns perfectly with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the unwavering commitment of his administration to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The government understands that sustainable development can not be realised without prioritising the needs of our youths, including those with disabilities who face even greater barriers in accessing opportunities.
“As you unveil SuDAyi, we are reminded that sustainable development is not just a concept but a call to action.
A call to invest in the education of our young people, providing them with access to quality healthcare and open doors to economic empowerment.
“My office stands behind this initiative and is ready to collaborate with SuDAyi in every possible way. We recognise that bridging the gap in education, healthcare and economic opportunities is not just the matter of policy, it is a moral and national imperative.
“Our office will work closely with SuDAyi and House Committee on Disability Affairs to ensure that young people including those with disabilities are not left behind in this education; skills and development and entrepreneurship opportunities are affordable for all, especially for marginalised youths, he said.
For his part, the chairman, House committee on disability matters, Hon. Bashiru Dawodu said the National Assembly would collaborate with Non-governmental and civil society organisations in championing the interests of People With Disabilities (PWDs).
He said while the disability community in collaboration with the National Assembly led to the enactment of Discrimination Against People with Disabilities Prohibition Act, 2018, there were still gaps to be filled to protect certain categories of PWDs.
“After a decade of advocacy by the disability community, this House passed the bill which was signed by President Buhari. It is called Discrimination Against People with Disabilities Prohibition Act, 2018. The law talks about accessibility – a person with disability shall have access to all pubic places..banks, religious centre.
“So this law is about the protection of rights and welfare of PWDs in Nigeria. And when we are talking about accessibility, accessibility in education. Like what are discussing today is talking about the autistic child. What the law says is that every child must have access to public education and that environment must provide facilities or resources to educate that child. That’s the law.
“It talks about transportation that we are undermining the Act because we see that there are gaps. So, what is coming from the community that this particular law doesn’t talk about children with disabilities. This law doesn’t talk about women with disabilities.
Because we think that these area are specific areas.
“That is the gap that is in the Act. We think that we don’t address areas like intellectual disabilities like developmental delays in children that have celebral pauses, children that have degenerative conditions. These are areas that not properly addressed in the present law. The area of caregivers is not really explicit.
“This particular law has moratorium which ended January last year and I think we have being doing a lot of implementation and compliance about that. It is important to get involved as Victoria has done. We are going to be willing to assist in whatever way we can,” Dawodu added.
In her remarks, the founder of SuDAyi, Victoria Nyam Jim said the initiative is committed to bridging the gap autism services and support in Nigeria, adding that it was built on the principles of sustainability, inclusivity and community driven solutions.
She said over the next two years SuDAyi will be implementing a comprehensive autism management intervention that provides training, education and support to families, caregivers and healthcare professionals
“Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to promote autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion in Africa. As we gather here today, we are reminded of the importance of our collective efforts to create a more inclusive and supportive society for individuals with autism and their families.
“SuDAyi is committed to bridging the gap autism services and support in Nigeria. And we are excited to share our vision and mission with you. Our initiative is built on the principles of sustainability, inclusivity and community driven solutions,” she added.
Speaking shortly after the unveiling, Chairman of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Mrs Zainab Nda-Isaiah lauded the founder of SuDAYI for the initiative and pledged the newspapers’ support.
Represented by the Group Managing Director of LEADERSHIP, Muazu Elazeh, the Chairman urged other well meaning Nigerians to support SuDAYI.
“This is a commendable venture that deserves to be supported by all. We must do all it take to ensure inclusivity” she added.
