Edo Champions Empowerment, Equal Opportunities For Persons with Disabilities
The Edo State Government through its Office of the First Lady, led by the Coordinator, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, has reiterated the administration’s commitment to inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the State.
Speaking during an engagement with delegates from the Network for the Advancement of Persons with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), Anani emphasized that the state government’s goal is to provide necessary support and encouragement.
Anani assured members of NAPVID of her Office’s collaboration, citing the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu’s upcoming initiative to support small-scale businesses of people living with disabilities.
According to her, the programme which is slated for November, will provide grants of N200,000 to beneficiaries.
She disclosed that the administration has already forwarded names for sponsorship, underscoring the Edo State Government’s dedication to empowering individuals with disabilities.
The Executive Director of the Group, Melody Omosah noted that NAPVID is an organization that champions the cause of persons with disabilities, fostering accessibility and safeguarding their rights at both local and national levels, adding “Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities is an organization for persons with disabilities, and we promote accessibility and uphold the rights of persons with disabilities, both at the local level and the national level. NAPVID has championed several programmes and projects in Edo State, ranging from Project HELP, which was a project that ran for four years, known as Project Health, Education, Livelihood, and Palliative.”
Omosah added that NAPVID, which was established in 2008, promotes the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, and has spearheaded various initiatives aimed at integrating persons with disabilities into society; driven by the conviction that they are resilient individuals who are eager to contribute meaningfully to the State.
Rejecting the prevalent view of PWDs as objects of pity, Omosah advocated for their empowerment and equal opportunities, saying the organization has collaborated with the government in providing support to over a thousand persons with disabilities in many areas.
