The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) in Nigeria has initiated a two-day stakeholders' workshop to validate a draft national policy on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This move aims to address concerns that existing laws do not provide sufficient guidelines for the effective inclusion of persons with IDD in society. The workshop brings together government agencies, disability organizations, development partners, professionals, families, and caregivers.
The draft policy seeks to provide a coordinated framework covering the needs of persons with IDD throughout their lives, including early intervention, education, skills development, healthcare, employment, social protection, independent living, and participation in community life. According to Ayuba Gufwam, Executive Secretary of the NCPWD, the policy is necessary to move beyond legal commitments and ensure that persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities can enjoy their rights and participate fully in society.
The effectiveness of the policy will depend on its implementation at the state and local government levels, with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies expected to incorporate its provisions into their development plans, programs, and service-delivery systems. The commission emphasizes the need for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and representative organizations to have a meaningful role in shaping the policy.
Fredrick Owuru, Programme Officer at Rights in Action Project, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, highlights that the existing Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act does not sufficiently provide practical guidelines for the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. He notes that the proposed policy will help translate the provisions of the Disability Act into practical guidelines for government agencies and other institutions.
Owuru identifies the absence of domestication of the Disability Act in some states as a challenge to implementation, stressing that states need to domesticate the law and establish appropriate structures to guide its implementation at the state level. However, he cites Lagos State as an example of progress, noting its efforts to include persons with disabilities in different areas.
Evangelist Babatunde Willoughby, National President of the Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of Nigeria (AIDDN), expresses commitment to working with the NCPWD, government institutions, families, caregivers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the policy. He emphasizes that the policy should lead to improved access to inclusive education, healthcare, rehabilitation, social protection, livelihood opportunities, family support, and legal protection.
The stakeholders' workshop aims to ensure that the lived experiences of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families are reflected in the final document. The policy's success will be measured by its implementation and the impact it has on the lives of persons with IDD in Nigeria. The NCPWD's effort to validate the draft policy marks a significant step towards promoting inclusivity and support for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Key points
- The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria has begun validating a draft national policy on intellectual and developmental disabilities to enhance inclusion and support.
- The proposed policy aims to provide a coordinated framework covering the needs of persons with IDD throughout their lives.
- The effectiveness of the policy will depend on its implementation at the state and local government levels.
