Stakeholders want inclusive education for children with disabilities

By Anan Geolengs

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Tuesday advocated stronger policy implementation on inclusive education.

They argued that greater government commitment will improve the lives of children with intellectual disabilities in the country.

The NGOs made the call at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.

At the meeting, organisations advocating for persons with disabilities launched the Intellectual Disability Cluster to amplify the voices of children with intellectual disabilities and ensure effective policy implementation.

The cluster includes the Engraced Ones Prayer Support and Advocacy Initiative, Autism Society Foundation, Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), among others.

Speaking, the founder of the Engraced Ones, Mrs Bibora Yinkere, said the collaboration aims to provide a unified platform for advocacy and increase engagement with stakeholders.

According to her, the organisations have gained the attention of policymakers, making it easier to achieve implementation of policies affecting children with disabilities.

She noted that children with intellectual disabilities require special support and supervision tailored toward better learning.

Project Lead of Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, Mrs Ijeoma Fyncountry, described the formation of the Intellectual Disability Cluster as a significant step toward coordinated advocacy.

She said the collaboration’s focus is to achieve full implementation of inclusive education in the FCT, while also pursuing employment equity, health equity, and social, cultural, and religious inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Fyncountry noted that persons with intellectual disabilities remain among the most underrepresented groups in Nigeria and therefore require deliberate and sustained interventions.

She expressed optimism that the collaboration would leverage partnerships and stakeholder engagement to achieve meaningful progress for persons with intellectual disabilities across the country.

Also speaking, a representative of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Ikem Uche, disclosed that the agency has created access to ensure public buildings, including schools, are physically accessible to persons with disabilities.

He also revealed that the Commission has produced a uniform sign language dictionary for Nigeria to promote effective communication and improve learning opportunities for deaf students nationwide.

According to him, the Commission has trained caregivers and parents of children with special needs and provided support to persons with intellectual disabilities to help them integrate into the system.