The Sightsavers Nigeria has launched a petition calling for disability rights to be upheld by the United Nations (UN) and its member states.
President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Nigeria Disability Act into law in January after its passage by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
According to the organisation, it is in the national interest that the Federal Government implement the Nigeria Disability Act.
Sightsavers’ Country Director, Dr. Sunday Isiyaku, told reporters yesterday in Abuja that this is vital to ensure the equal rights of people with disabilities are respected in Nigeria and around the world.
He said that when the Nigeria Disability Act is implemented, children with disabilities will have access to school through the implementation of inclusive education system, youth and women with disabilities will have equal rights and opportunities to formal employment, participate and enjoy economic, social and political opportunities in the country.
“In Nigeria and around the world, people with disabilities are denied the rights to go to school, find a job, access health care and take part in political processes. This discrimination is an injustice on over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities.
“Our petition for disability rights has two goals. At a global level, it calls on the United Nations to make sure that its recently published disability strategy is implemented effectively. At a national level, we are calling on our own governments to implement the national disability act and meet commitments they have made on disability inclusion,” Isiyaku said.
He said the campaign is ambitious in its scale and is working with local disability groups and individuals around the world to get as many signatures as possible.
Also, Sightsavers’ Campaign Manager, Tessa Murphy, said: “We want to show the widespread support for disability rights here and around the world. We want every government and the UN to know that people everywhere are no longer prepared to tolerate the rights of 15 per cent of the world’s population being denied.”
On his part, a civil rights PWD activist, Mr. Rasaq Adekoya, said the implementation of the Disability Act, should not be taken as a favour, but the fundamental, to national interest and development.