The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has announced the take off of the National Disability Commission.
This follows the approval of the appointment of the Executive Members of the Commission by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Minister said since her appointment in 2019, she had reiterated her commitment to following up to ensure the take-off of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
“Today is a very happy and fulfilling day for me as one of the vulnerable groups that are close to my heart finally have a commission and executives in place to cater to their needs, protect their rights and provide an enabling environment for them to maximize their potentials, thrive and contribute valuably to the society and the Nation as a whole.” she said.
It will be recalled that the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act which the President gave accent to last year provides for the establishment of the Commission.
She congratulated the over 30 million Persons Living with Disabilities in Nigeria on this giant milestone and charged them to maximize the platform that has been provided for them, adding that once
the Senate confirms the appointments, the Commission will take-off accordingly.
The functions of the Commission include; the formulation and implementation of policies and guidelines as appropriate for the education and social development of persons with disabilities, preparation of schemes designed to promote social welfare of persons with disabilities, amongst others.