In a bid to address economic challenges faced by Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), the eagerly awaited Presidential Economic Initiative on Palliative is gearing up for launch.
This was disclosed by Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, in his compelling address during the International Women’s Day celebration held in Abuja on Friday.
Read full speech;
“TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE SSA TO THE PRESIDENT ON SPECIAL NEEDS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, HON. MOHAMMED ABBA ISA, ON THE OCCASION OF 2024 INT’L WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION HELD ON FRIDAY MARCH 8, 2024 IN ABUJA
Ladies and gentlemen in the disability community
All distinguished guests here present
I bring you the warm greetings, pleasure and compliment of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as the Senior Special Assistant on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities.
Today, as we celebrate the 2024 International Women’s Day, it is imperative that we also reflect on the incredible achievements and progress made by this administration in the realm of gender equality and empowerment.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our administration has made significant strides in advancing the rights and opportunities of women across the nation.
We have implemented comprehensive policies and programs aimed at fostering gender equality in all spheres of society, including education, employment, healthcare, and political representation.
One of our proudest achievements has been the promotion of women’s participation in governance and decision-making processes.
On my part as the SSA to Mr President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, my office in the last four months of assuming office has implemented a number of initiatives targeted at advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
One of such notable initiatives is the launch of Disability Inclusion Governors Connect Program which was flagged off by Lagos State governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
One of the critical components of the program is Women and Girls Educational and Skills Empowerment. The program seeks to connect with the 36 states Governors, raise awareness on disability issues, facilitate their compliance with disability norms, provide technical support through the process, rate and induct compliant administrators into the disability friendly Hall of fame, and to continue monitoring their compliance.
Earlier this year, my office facilitated the inclusion of some women with disabilities In the National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI) recently launched by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) where they were trained in various vocational skills and empowered with startup kits and funds to start their businesses.
Recently, I had a strategic engagement with Mr President through his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila,and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on how we can create a better life for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria.
The strategic meeting centred around how to enhance the livelihood of Persons With Disabilities and provision of palliatives to improve their welfare, and we also discussed issues on how to scale up the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) of PWDs, as well as how to achieve inclusion of PWDs in governance at all levels and stratas in line with the strong desire and dream of Mr President to see every segment of the society well catered to and accommodated in his administration.
Very soon, my office will be launching the Presidential Economic Initiative on Palliative for PWDs to ameliorate and cushion the effects of the economic hardship on them.
The office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities will handle the distribution of these palliatives to deserving beneficiaries, including members of the disability community as soon as they are released.
Looking ahead, let me assure you that the government of President Tinubu remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
We will continue to implement targeted interventions to address the systemic barriers that hinder women’s full participation and inclusion in all aspects of society.
This includes further increasing women’s representation in leadership positions, strengthening legal frameworks to protect women’s rights, and expanding access to education and economic opportunities for women and girls.
Moreover, we recognize the importance of partnerships with civil society organizations, the private sector, and international stakeholders in advancing our agenda for gender equality.
My office is connected to 774 local government and the 36 states including the FCT and we are open to partnership and collaboration from everybody including development partners, donor agencies, OPDs, CSOs MDAs and other stakeholders in the disability community.
My office is the closest to the President, therefore, any collaboration with my office is a collaboration directly with the President.
I believe that together, we can build a more equitable and inclusive society where every woman and girl has the opportunity to fulfill her potential and contribute meaningfully to the progress of our nation.
I thank you all for coming.
