… Advocates for quotas in Development Assistance and Participation of PWDs in Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
By Lanre Oloyede
In a significant move to advance the inclusion of people with disabilities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, paid an advocacy visit to the French Embassy’s Consular-General in Abuja.
This visit, which took place on Tuesday, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to create opportunities for the inclusion of disability requirements and perspectives.
Accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Barr Yusuf Iyodo, Director of Media and Communications, Mr. Lanre Oloyede, and Director of Administration, Mr. Felix Okoli, Hon. Abba Isa was warmly received by Mr. Bertrand de Seissan, the Political Counsellor representing the Consular-General.
The meeting focused on several key issues, including the inclusion of people with special needs in programs implemented by the French government in Nigeria and the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Hon. Abba Isa emphasized his commitment to representing the 35 million Nigerians with disabilities and special needs, aiming to ensure their welfare and inclusion in governance.
The Senior presidential aide explained that this 35 million PWDs included People with Special Needs, Almajiris, out-of school children, widows, IDPs and orphans.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, Hon. Abba Isa stated, “I wish to collaborate with the French Embassy, especially in the area of advocacy and awareness of disability rights as it affects the global community. My office has a good working relationship with the Paralympic Committee in Nigeria, and it would be great to be at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
In a bid to ensure Nigeria’s representation at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Hon. Abba Isa requested entry visas for ten delegates. He also urged the French government to reserve 5% of their project grants and development assistance for persons with disabilities.
Additionally, Hon. Abba Isa invited the French Embassy to support and participate in the upcoming Inter-Ministerial and Subnational Disability Awareness Summit.
The summit, which will also features the launch of the “Beyond Disability Project,” is dedicated to harnessing the talents of PWDs, supporting their education, and creating awareness about their rights.
Scheduled to be held on July 22, 2024, at the Presidential Villa, the event has garnered endorsement and promotion from the ECOWAS Commission.
According to the presidential aide, the Beyond Disability Project aims to empower over 5000 talented Persons With Disabilities through talent and skill development, and has the capacity to generation over 36, 551 job opportunities for PWDs in Nigeria at the implementation stage.
Hon. Abba Isa also advocated for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce to guarantee diversity and inclusion, extending his warm regards to the Ambassador of France in Nigeria.
In his submission, the Chief of Staff to the SSAP, Barr Yusuf Iyodo, emphasized on the issue of development assistance, stressing that part of the mandate given by Mr President to the office is to collaborate with international partners like the French Embassy on development assistance.
Barr Iyodo lamented that usually when development project comes, PWDs are not able to benefit because there are no quotas given to them.
He advised that anytime France is bringing funds for development assistance, they should reserve 5% quotas for PWDs so that there can be equal opportunities.
Also speaking, Director Media and Communications Mr Lanre Oloyede stated that as one of the signatories to the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, partnering and aligning with government at the highest level on issues of inclusivity will serve as a remarkable testament to France’s commitment to rights and welfare of PWDs.
Responding, the Consular-General noted that though France is yet to attain a state of perfection on issues of disability inclusion, however the nation is making serious progress, while acknowledging that Nigeria is also making progress in this direction.
Mr. Seissan stressed that France has a policy on inclusion in recruitment of Staff and also taking that into consideration in projects they are undertaking in Nigeria.
The CG submitted that France has a lot of projects in the area of sorts development in Nigeria particularly soccer and powerlifting.
While expressing the French Embassy’s willingness to partner with the office of the SSA, the Consular-General promised to accede to the requests made the the presidential aide and accord it accelerated attention.
The advocacy visit marks a crucial step in strengthening the collaboration between Nigeria and France in promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities, reflecting a shared commitment to diversity and equal opportunities on the global stage
