The Federal Government has concluded plans to build databank for persons with disabilities.
The Chairman of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Dr Hussani Kangiwa, made this known while delivering his inaugural speech at a meeting of the commission’s Governing Council in Abuja.
Kangiwa said that the registration of all persons with disability in the country was for proper planning and policy formulation.
He pledged to ensure that challenges facing persons with disability were addressed with the establishment of the commission.
“I believe that this council should give priority to planning and policy formulation in the next few months.
“It is often said that success is achieved when proper planning meets good implementation.
“Without a doubt, the policy on registration of all persons with disability and the creation of a seamless future data capturing process must take precedent of all.
“This commission will reach every person with disability and to do so, we must know who they are, what they need and where they can be reached.
“We pledge to address our challenges with scientific solutions and deep deliberative process,” he said.
He said though the current data of population of persons living with disability is put at 35 million, the number would be more after the registration exercise because many people had become disabled as a result of accident, Boko Haram activities, among others.
The chairman, therefore, urged members to be transparent in their dealings and do things different.
“Our collective dream must be to achieve an all-inclusive commission which will lay a very solid foundation for the commission during our tenure, so as to leave a lasting legacy behind,” he said.
Kangiwa, who thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his appointment, also commended him for signing into law the Disability Act.
A member of the NCPD Governing Council representing the North Central, Mrs Esther Andrew-Awu, said members would ensure that the commission’s mandate is implemented so that their members were not discriminated against in the country.
(NAN)
