By Lanre Oloyede
The City Boy Movement has established a Disability Directorate as a strategic platform to advance the interests, participation and leadership of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) within the organisation and across Nigeria.
The development was announced in a statement signed by the National Director for Persons with Disabilities Affairs of the City Boy Movement, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa.
According to the statement, the establishment of the Directorate aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, the National Disability Policy, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and other relevant national and international frameworks.
Abba Isa said the Directorate would serve as the official platform through which Persons with Disabilities would actively participate in the programmes, policies, leadership structures and activities of the City Boy Movement.
He explained that the Directorate would provide a coordinated framework for mobilisation, advocacy, representation, empowerment, leadership development, capacity building and stakeholder engagement, while ensuring that disability inclusion remains a core pillar of the Movement’s philosophy and operations.
“The Directorate will promote disability-inclusive governance, political participation, economic empowerment, accessibility, social inclusion, human rights protection and sustainable development,” he said.
He added that it would facilitate the emergence of competent leaders with disabilities, strengthen grassroots participation, encourage active citizenship and create opportunities for Persons with Disabilities to contribute meaningfully to governance and national development.
The statement further noted that the Directorate would serve as a bridge between Persons with Disabilities and government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to foster partnerships that advance the welfare, rights and aspirations of the disability community.
It added that the Directorate would champion policies and initiatives aimed at removing barriers to participation while promoting an inclusive society where diversity is valued and every citizen is empowered to realise their full potential.
To ensure effective coordination and nationwide coverage, the Disability Directorate will operate through a decentralised structure spanning the national, zonal, state, local government, ward and polling unit levels.
According to the statement, the structure is designed to promote grassroots engagement, strengthen community ownership, facilitate effective information flow and ensure that the voices of Persons with Disabilities are represented at every level of decision-making.
Abba Isa described the establishment of the Directorate as a demonstration of the City Boy Movement’s commitment to building a Nigeria where Persons with Disabilities are not merely beneficiaries of development programmes but active participants, policymakers, innovators and partners in national development.
He said the Directorate would serve as a vehicle for political inclusion, disability rights advocacy, leadership development, economic empowerment and nationwide mobilisation.
“Through its structures from the national level to the polling unit, the Directorate will ensure that Persons with Disabilities are not merely beneficiaries of governance but active participants, decision-makers and leaders in building a stronger, more inclusive Nigeria,” the statement added.
