By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria has urged stakeholders at all levels, including federal, state, and local governments, to create conducive and inclusive environment for children with disabilities ahead of the pivotal global disability summit taking place from 16-17 February 2022
.According to the UNFPA (2021) World Population Dashboard as well as the WHO/World Bank (2011) world report on disability, Nigeria is home to an estimated 32 million people with disabilities, most of whom are children.
The reports said the children face different types of discrimination and have limited access to basic social services like health and education facilities.
The current status quo reveals that an estimated 95.5% of children with disabilities in Nigeria are out of school and have low knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues, including HIV/AIDS due to inaccessible SRH/HIV communication-information tools.
Mercy Gichuhi, Country Director, Save the Children International Nigeria, said: “Children, girls and women with disabilities are the most affected and disadvantaged in times of disaster, armed conflict, or humanitarian crisis. They are often neglected part of communities during recovery and response programs. However, community development would be incomplete and the rights of children would be denied if it doesn’t include and address the rights and special needs of people with disabilities. Therefore, I would like to call upon development actors, donors, the private sector, states, and governments to deliberately take into account disability inclusion and rights in humanitarian and development planning, financing, and implementation.”
Save the Children International called upon the government to design programs in health, education and livelihoods that are more inclusive and conducive in a bid to curb the discrimination faced by children with disabilities, especially the girl child.
