NCPWD inaugurates committees for PWDs reality talent show

The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has inaugurated six sub-committees for the maiden national inclusive reality talent show, PWDs Got Talent Reality TV Show 2026.

The initiative, being organised in partnership with the Discovering Abilities in Disabilities Initiative (DADI), was inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Ayuba Burki Gufwan, who was represented at the event by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Aliyu Agwai, said the initiative was aimed at changing the narrative around persons with disabilities from sympathy and charity to ability, talent and empowerment.

He said the show, themed “Discovering Abilities in Disabilities”, would provide a platform to discover, develop and project persons with disabilities as talents.

According to him, 14 finalists, comprising two contestants from each of the six geopolitical zones and two from the Federal Capital Territory, would live together for 30 days as they compete and learn.

He said the project was backed by a N1 billion Ability Talent Fund, which would support talent development and post-show opportunities for participants.

“Some time ago, we conceived an idea – to change the narrative from sympathy to ability, from charity to talent and empowerment. That idea has today become PWDs Got Talent Reality TV Show 2026,” Gufwan said.

The six sub-committees inaugurated are Contact and Mobilization; Proposal and Partnership; Media and Publicity; Branding and Marketing; Logistics, Protocol and Entertainment; and Inclusion and Compliance.

The Contact and Mobilization Committee is expected to mobilise talented persons with disabilities across the 36 states and the FCT through disability organisations, NGOs, associations and community leaders.

The Proposal and Partnership Committee will develop proposals, secure sponsorships and manage relations with government, corporate organisations and development partners, while the Media and Publicity Committee will oversee press engagements and campaigns across television, radio, online and social media platforms.

The Branding and Marketing Committee will handle the show’s brand identity, merchandise and advertising, while the Logistics, Protocol and Entertainment Committee will oversee venues, welfare, security, transportation and event production.

The Inclusion and Compliance Committee will ensure accessibility, including sign language interpretation, audio description and disability-sensitive content.

The founder of DADI and initiator of the show, Steve Rodstick Ezeh, said persons with disabilities possessed talents that could contribute to the creative industry.

He said the reality show would promote self-reliance and help advance the implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.