Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to ensure persons with disabilities (PWDs) are fully considered in Nigeria’s climate change policies and legislation.

The call was made at the Inclusive Climate Action Resilient Education (I-CARE) workshop held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where participants discussed climate resilience, education and disability-inclusive development.

Tajudeen Akanji, a professor of industrial and security education at the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, urged the Federal Government to review and update the Nigeria Climate Change Act 2021.

According to Akanji, the review should adequately address the needs of PWDs and align with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Basirat Razaq-Shuaibu, organiser of the workshop, said the symposium was established to encourage policy dialogue around climate change, education and disability planning.

She added that the programme was also aimed at strengthening institutional capacity for research that focuses on disability inclusion and equity.

Ayodele Adekanbi, director-general of the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, was represented at the event by rehabilitation officer Rilwan Babalola, while Joke Sanni, Oyo State commissioner for women affairs and social inclusion, was represented by Lateef Oyediji, director of community development.

The representatives separately highlighted the need for stronger data gathering and deliberate inclusion of PWDs in government policies and programmes.

They said persons with disabilities had already been considered in recruitment exercises in Oyo State and would also be considered for N-Care stipends.

Muyiwa Abegunde, a panellist at the workshop and a person with albinism, called on the government to make the rights and welfare of PWDs a priority.

He also urged authorities to ensure that climate interventions do not exclude persons with disabilities.

The five-day workshop brought together researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders from states across the South-West to examine issues around climate resilience, education and disability-inclusive development.

Source:TheCable