Nigeria moves to strengthen policy on intellectual, developmental disabilities

The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has begun validating a draft national policy on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), amid concerns that existing laws do not provide sufficient guidelines for their effective inclusion in society.

The two-day stakeholders’ workshop, which brings together government agencies, disability organisations, development partners, professionals, families and caregivers, is aimed at producing a practical framework for implementing the rights and support needs of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Ayuba Gufwam, said the policy was necessary to move beyond legal commitments and ensure that persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities could enjoy their rights and participate fully in society.

He said the draft policy would provide a coordinated framework covering the needs of persons with IDD throughout their lives, including early intervention, education, skills development, healthcare, employment, social protection, independent living and participation in community life.

The commission also stressed the need for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and representative organisations to have a meaningful role in shaping the policy.

According to the commission, the effectiveness of the policy would ultimately depend on its implementation at the state and local government levels, with relevant ministries, departments and agencies expected to incorporate its provisions into their development plans, programmes, budgets and service-delivery systems.

Speaking on the need for the validation exercise, Fredrick Owuru, Programme Officer, Rights in Action Project, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, said the existing Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act did not sufficiently provide practical guidelines for the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities.

Owuru said the proposed policy would help translate the provisions of the Disability Act into practical guidelines for government agencies and other institutions.

He said implementation of the law had also been slowed by the need for coordination among different ministries, departments and agencies responsible for health, education and other sectors.

“Operationalisation is different from having something on paper,” he said, adding that gaps often become apparent when efforts are made to implement the law.

Owuru also identified the absence of domestication of the Disability Act in some states as another challenge to implementation.

He said states needed to domesticate the law and establish appropriate structures to guide its implementation at the state level.

However, he said there were examples of progress, citing Lagos State for its efforts to include persons with disabilities in different areas.

Owuru said inclusion should not be seen solely as the responsibility of government, stressing that individuals, communities, religious organisations, schools and businesses also had roles to play.

He urged stakeholders to consider accessibility and inclusion when planning elections, constructing schools and providing places of worship.

The National President of the Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of Nigeria (AIDDN), Evangelist Babatunde Willoughby, said the organisation was committed to working with the NCPWD, government institutions, families, caregivers and other stakeholders to strengthen the policy.

Willoughby said the policy should lead to improved access to inclusive education, healthcare, rehabilitation, social protection, livelihood opportunities, family support and legal protection.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that the lived experiences of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families were reflected in the final document.