By Lanre Oloyede
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has sealed a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) to strengthen emergency response and humanitarian assistance for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in times of disasters.
The collaboration was formalized on Thursday during a courtesy visit by Hon. Abba Isa to the NRCS headquarters in Abuja.

In his remarks, Hon. Abba Isa conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s gratitude to the Red Cross for its “extraordinary work” in humanitarian service, emergency response, rescue operations, and disaster management across the country.
The Senior presidential aide said: “Your commitment to alleviating human suffering in the face of crisis, whether natural or man-made, is not only admirable but deeply patriotic,”while lauding the organisation’s courage, compassion, and professionalism in serving Nigerians in distress, including vulnerable groups such as PWDs.
He noted that PWDs are often the worst affected during disasters, citing the recent flood tragedy in Maiduguri, Yobe and Mokwa where many PWDs were swept away while survivors continued to face neglect and lack of assistance.
Highlighting the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, Abba Isa said his office has been mandated to build sustainable partnerships with ministries, agencies, civil society, and NGOs to deliver targeted interventions for PWDs.
He outlined four key areas of collaboration with the Red Cross:
- Empowerment Initiatives to provide skills training and micro-enterprise support for PWDs.
- Assistive Devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, white canes, and mobility aids.
- Food Items and Emergency Relief with deliberate inclusive outreach.
- Livelihood Support through community-based programs tailored for PWDs
The SSA stressed that this collaboration will not only strengthen the NRCS’s existing interventions but also show a clear commitment to equity and human dignity.
Responding, the NRCS Secretary-General, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Kende, hailed the partnership as timely and aligned with the Society’s mission of assisting people regardless of political, religious, ethnic, or tribal identity, particularly those with disabilities.
He highlighted the organisation’s extensive reach with over one million trained volunteers and offices in all 774 local government areas.
He recalled their historical role during the civil war, providing aid to both sides despite losses, and noted recent interventions, including targeted relief for PWDs during the 2024 Maiduguri floods.


“In Mokwa, Maiduguri and Yobe, our teams are constructing shelters for displaced victims, including PWDs. Your visit here today has solved many problems for us,” Kende said, promising to include PWDs in an upcoming ECOWAS-supported proposal targeting “People of Concern” affected by insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping.
Also speaking, the Director of Protection, Gender and Inclusion, Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Nasir, reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to integrating PWDs in all its interventions.
She said the SSA’s requests align with NRCS operations and pledged direct collaboration with his office in future programs.
“With your office on board, we will ensure technical support and volunteer mobilization for your initiatives whenever needed,” she assured.
The partnership is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s disaster response systems and ensure no one, especially persons with disabilities, is left behind in times of crisis.