By Abubakar Yunusa
The founder of Cedar Seed Foundation and President of the Network of Women with Disabilities, Lois Auta, has urged the Federal Government to allocate a specific budget line for children with disabilities under the Federal Ministry of Education.
Ms Auta made the call while speaking with journalists during the launch of the Ojay Ajaifia Foundation for Children with Disabilities in Abuja, yesterday.
She said inclusive facilities must be prioritised to ensure children with disabilities are not left behind during school enrolments and admissions.
“Children with disabilities should be part of the education system from planning to implementation. This will give them the right to be educated and included in all that the government is doing concerning education,” Auta stressed.
She described the launch as timely, saying it would raise awareness about the rights of children with disabilities, who have long faced exclusion.
“They should not be locked up in homes. They have the right to go to school, to be educated, and to associate freely,” she added.
The Chairman of the National Population Commission, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, represented by Deputy Director of Data Registration, Yusuf Saka, said mapping data on children with disabilities was crucial in tackling barriers to education, healthcare and social inclusion.
Founder of the host foundation, Ojay Ajaifia, said her inspiration came from noticing that children with disabilities often get overlooked. She called on government to enforce disability-friendly policies, particularly in schools, hospitals and housing.
“It is sad that many buildings remain inaccessible. Even my office has no access for wheelchairs. We need policies that make ramps and inclusive facilities mandatory. Everyone is affected in one way or the other,” Ajaifia appealed.
She said the foundation’s new data mapping initiative would help identify the number of children with disabilities and provide evidence to push for inclusion in national planning.
