Towards achieving the National objective of poverty reduction, increase resilience, promote equity and stimulate economic growth for an all inclusive National Development in the country, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has commenced capacity building training workshop on income generating activities for persons with disabilities in Oyo State, South West Nigeria.
Represented by the Director Special Needs (Department) Mrs. Nkechi Onwukwe, the Minister said, “the training is to enable PWDs in exploring greater possibilities in our collective quest to combact the challenges confronting the advancements of Person’s with Disabilities for a sustainable development”.
“This government is mindful of the importance of disability as a development issue.The commitment to adressiing some of these challenges and timely response to other humanitarian issues informed the creation of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and ensuring that PWDs are equipped and empowered for an all inclusive National Development”.
“As a Ministry with the requisite mandate of developing polices and providing effective coordination of Humanitarian interventions and strengthening social systems in Nigeria, I understand that livelihood interventions are critical to addressing economic challenges among PWDs and therefore the present administration’s goal of lifting 100million Nigerians out of poverty by 2029 cannot be achievedwithout full involvement of Person’s with Disabilities”.
Continuing,”The Ministry commenced the processes of repositioning the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the blind Lagos, to be in tune with current realities in the areas of entrepreneurial and empowerment angles of trainees.
The Ministry also conducted a specialised professional training -of- the trainers (TOT) for selected staff of the Department, management staff of 6 Braille centres and Farmcraft Centre for the blind Lagos, in order to build their capacities for efficient discharge of their mandates as social workers.
The Permanent Secretary Bashir Nura Alkali represented by the Assistant Director Special Needs, Garba Magaji urged the participants to put to good use the skills to be acquired during the training to better their lives and contribute to the nation’s economic growth, reiterating that the participants Will be closely monitored after the training.
The representative of Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion Oyo State M.O Akande Director Rehabilitation, lauded the workshop at a time like this. He said the economic hardship bedevilling Nigerians are doubly manifested in the lives of PWDS across the Nation hence the need for all critical stakeholders to come up with profound and pragmatic measures to lift vulnerable groups of people out of their current economic hardship.
He added that Oyo State in collaboration with other critical MDAs in the State has made conscious effort to lift PWDS out of poverty and economic stagnation. For example the facilitation of employment opportunities for PWDS within and outside the State Civil Service.
The Consultant and Facilitator Mr. Kolawole Taiwo of Rockbel Proffessional Services, said that at the end of the training, participants will be monitored and have access to financial Empowerment. He encouraged participants to be atttentive during the training in order to have a fruitful result.