No fewer than half of the 35.5 million population of Persons With Disabilities (PWD) across the country, require basic education to meet up with their counterpart across the globe.
James Lalu, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.
Lalu spoke when he received Mrs Rakiya Abubakar, the President of the Nigeria Airforce Officers Wives Association (NAFOWA) at the Commission’s headquarters.
He noted that disability issues remained a phenomenon that required all hands to be on deck to improve the quality of lives of PWDs.
Lalu said the commission was ready to partner with NAFOWA in the areas of educational advancement and other social inclusion needs of PWDs.
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”We are ready and open for collaboration with NAFOWA because one of our mandates is to improve the quality of education, healthcare services and improve the general well-being of persons with disabilities.
”We hope and believe that this collaboration will see to the improvement of the quality of life of 35.5 million persons with disabilities across the disability communities in Nigeria,” he said.
On her part, the NAFOWA President reiterated the Association’s commitment to strengthening partnership and advocacy towards achieving inclusive education for PWDs.
She said NAFOWA had been at the forefront of mainstreaming disability inclusion for people with social needs.
”It is our firm belief that everyone especially persons with disabilities deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.
”That is why we are focusing on establishing a special school for people with special needs that will offer education and therapeutic services to help PWDs unlock their potential,” she said.
She, therefore expressed optimism that the partnership will yield the desired result in the lives of PWDs in the nation. (NAN)