Nigeria has over 29 million persons with disabilities – CCD

The Center for Citizens with Disabilities, CCD, said no fewer than 29 million Nigerians live with one form of disability or the other.

Newspot reports that Ms Florence Attah, Program Officer of the organization, disclosed this at a capacity building workshop in Benin City, with the theme, ‘Promoting Inclusive Economic Opportunities and Community Resilience for Persons With Disabilities’.

Attah said the 29 million Nigerians represented the 1.3 billion persons with disabilities globally, about 16 per cent of the world population.

While noting that the figure might have increased, she lamented that the lack of comprehensive data had made it difficult to get the accurate data of PWDs in the country.

She also lamented that the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities does not have the accurate database of PWDs in the country.

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Attah attributed the disability rate in the country to increase in conflicts, violence, accidents and a poor healthcare system.

In her presentation, titled ‘Understanding Disability Rights and Advocacy’, Attah listed models of disability to include moral/religious, medical, charity, social and human rights models.

Also speaking, the Acting Director, CCD, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said the workshop is supported by the US Consulate through Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund.

Ununeri said the project is being implemented in Abia and Edo states to build the capacity of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs and public institutions to become disability-inclusive in their programs and practices.