President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment and implementation of the Nigeria Disability Databank, as part of measures to cater for the interest of People Living with Disability (PLWD), the less privileged and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the county.
The Senior Special Assistant to Mr. president on Disability Matters, Dr. Samuel Ankeli, said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference.
He President Buhari, in many of his public address confirmed his administration will run an all-inclusive government, with special attention to PLWD the less privileged and IDP.
According to him, in Nigeria today, the reality and possibility to achieve Mr President’s intention would be futile if different but non speculative approach is not taking, so the introduction of Basic Registry and Information System in Nigeria (BRISIN) become the powering instrument to build the Disability Databank for the people living with disability, less privileged and IDPs.
“Planning and managing these group of citizens require getting close to them, knowing and understanding what their needs are and how to carry them along in applying social welfare system,” Ankeli said.
He said that the United Nations (UN) and other international agencies across the world has been finding it difficult to continue trusting and believing on what Nigeria gives as figures on these group of people in Nigeria, and President Buhari in many occasions criticised the figures attributed to Nigeria by these agencies.
He said, “So on my second appointment as Senior Special Adviser to Mr President on the issues of Disability, I felt that it is time for every one living with disability to be known and identified where ever they are, so that the government plan to carry PLWD along in the social development of Nigeria is achieved.”
On the expectation of the databank, the Presidential aide said that data will capture all the people living with disability in the country, all the less privileged and IDPs with their biometrics, starting with FCT as pilot.
