The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commemorated this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities with an empowerment outreach for women and youths living with disabilities in Rivers State.
The programme, held in Port Harcourt, brought together stakeholders, government representatives and beneficiaries to promote inclusion, strengthen economic participation and address challenges confronting persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The initiative underscores the NDDC’s commitment to inclusive development and its efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities benefit from interventions aimed at improving skills, economic independence and participation in society.
Speaking at the event, the Director of the NDDC Rivers State Office, Mr Okezie Ule, said the Commission recognised the importance of deliberately including persons with disabilities in its development programmes across the Niger Delta.
Ule, who was represented by Mrs Patience Opuebi, said the initiative was designed to address some of the challenges confronting PWDs and create opportunities for their greater participation in society.
Also speaking, the NDDC Director of Culture and Women Affairs, Mrs Ahunna Imoni, called for sustained efforts to remove barriers limiting the participation of persons with disabilities in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and employment.
She said the initiative formed part of the Commission’s broader commitment to skills acquisition, advocacy and the creation of opportunities for underserved groups across the Niger Delta.
“This initiative is part of the Commission’s broader commitment to skills acquisition, advocacy and the creation of opportunities for underserved groups across the Niger Delta.
“We have listened carefully and learnt a lot with keen observation. We might not be wholly there yet, but we are on the right track, taking crucial steps to ensure inclusion in all that we do,” Imoni said.
The programme also featured lectures and interactive sessions facilitated by professionals and persons with disabilities.
One of the facilitators from the Ministry of Justice, Evelyn Member, commended the NDDC for its inclusive initiatives, urging stakeholders to look beyond empowerment programmes and economic support.
“We need to go beyond empowerment programmes and economic inclusion. If we genuinely want inclusion, we must create opportunities for PWDs to be involved in decision-making,” she said.
Another facilitator and disability advocate, Ms Ndifreke Andrew-Essien, encouraged beneficiaries to focus on their abilities and actively participate in conversations and movements that affect their lives.
“Insert yourself into conversations and movements. You have to make yourself, your abilities and the pros of your disabilities known. It is with this that you can make notable change for yourself,” she said.
The NDDC said the outreach formed part of its broader efforts to extend development interventions to underserved groups and promote greater inclusion and participation in the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta.
