Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation has concluded plans to host a public policy forum on disability inclusion next Wednesday.
The event which is being organized in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives is to mark the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
A statement issued Friday revealed that the event is organised in collaboration with the Australian High Commission Nigeria, Christian Aid, IREDE Foundation, Inclusive Friends Association, Cedar Seed Foundation, and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund would hold at the Yar’dua Centre, Abuja on December 3.
The forum, titled “Valuable, Driven, Capable: Advancing Workplace Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria,” comes at a critical time.
The statement reads: “Following the expiration of the five-year moratorium on compliance with the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, organisations across Nigeria are now legally required to comply with its key provisions.
“These include a five per cent employment quota for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and accessibility standards in the workplace.”
The statement added that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akune will serve as the Special Guest of Honour.
The event will bring together an influential audience including ambassadors, lawmakers, senior government officials, international development partners, business leaders, and leading disability rights advocates.
Speaking ahead of the event, Mrs. Vivian Emehelu, Director, Programmes and Administration at the Yar’Adua Foundation, stated that the forum will promote practical strategies for accelerating workplace inclusion.
She said it also seeks to shift perceptions of disability from a charity-based view to one rooted in rights and capability, while highlighting the skills, innovation, and resilience of Nigerians with disabilities.
Emehelu noted that the event aligns with the Foundation’s mission to advance human rights, social justice, and inclusive development.
She stressed that the event also seeks to deepen collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, civil society, and international partners, in its first of a kind collaborative forum.
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