By Abbas Nazil
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has called for the implementation of recommendations contained in its latest research report on the impacts of climate change on Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), urging stakeholders to ensure that climate policies and programmes adequately address their specific needs.
The Acting Director of CCD, Godwin Unumeri, made the call during the public presentation of the report titled “Disability-Inclusive Greenhouse Gas Emission and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Nigeria” in Lagos.
Unumeri said effective implementation of the report’s recommendations would require sustained collaboration, strong policy commitment, adequate mobilisation of resources and coordinated action among relevant sectors.
He said the findings and recommendations generated during a validation workshop held in February had been incorporated into the report, adding that stakeholders must now move beyond discussions to practical interventions that would strengthen climate resilience and promote the full inclusion of PWDs in Nigeria’s climate response.
According to him, stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and organisations representing persons with disabilities would be critical to achieving disability-inclusive climate action.
The event brought together representatives of government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to discuss ways of improving climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, called for the full representation of PWDs in climate change policies, funding mechanisms, programmes and interventions at both national and state levels.
Oyetunde-Lawal expressed concern that the effects of climate change on persons with disabilities were often overlooked in climate planning and other policies, despite the additional vulnerabilities they face during climate-related emergencies.
She also noted that many public structures and facilities were not designed to adequately accommodate the unique needs of persons with disabilities, potentially making access to essential services and emergency assistance more difficult during disasters.
The LASODA official urged stakeholders to translate the findings of the report into concrete measures capable of improving inclusion and accessibility in climate-related interventions.
Meanwhile, CCD Programme Officer, Christiana Njoku, urged the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to review the Climate Change Act of 2021 to strengthen the inclusion and representation of persons with disabilities in Nigeria’s climate governance framework.
Njoku also called for stronger collaboration between the NCPWD, LASODA and first responders to conduct accessibility audits of emergency shelters and ensure that such facilities can adequately serve persons with different disabilities during climate-related disasters.
She further stressed the importance of properly documenting challenges affecting PWDs, warning that inadequate documentation could prevent policymakers and implementing agencies from fully understanding the problems requiring intervention.
According to her, reliable documentation would provide policymakers with the evidence and roadmap needed to develop and implement inclusive climate policies and actions.
The programme attracted goodwill messages from several stakeholders, including the National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The stakeholders reaffirmed the importance of stronger coordination and practical action to ensure that climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in Nigeria do not leave persons with disabilities behind.
