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Nigeria calls for establishment of ECOWAS agency for disability Affairs
Nigeria calls for establishment of ECOWAS agency for disability Affairs
…To Seal Offices Not Accessible to Persons With Disability
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria government has called for the establishment of the ECOWAS Agency for Disability Affairs (EADA)
This, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Abel Enitan said would ensure an all-inclusive region, where persons with disabilities in member states are not left
Enitan said this would add to help in the integration of all regional policies and strategies on disabilities.
The Permanent Secretary said this on Thursday in Abuja at the opening of a-two day maiden edition of meeting of ministers in charge of disability inclusion in West Africa. The meeting is meant to adopt the region’s action plan for the inclusion of disabilities.
He advises member states that are yet to ratify the relevant disability instruments to do so quickly.
He said: “In order to make an all-inclusive region for persons with disabilities in member states, Nigeria is calling for the establishment of the “ECOWAS Agency for Disability Affairs” EADA to integrate regional disability policies and strategies for rehabilitation and equal opportunity in the community, as well as provide a mechanism to protect, promote, support, and respect the actions of people with disabilities.
“This affirmative action must be viewed through the prism of human diversity, while ensuring that individuals with disabilities have as many opportunities as possible to participate in all levels of decision making in ECOWAS, in the spirit of “Nothing about us without us,” so that no one falls behind.”
The Permanent Secretary also stressed the importance of disability inclusion, which he said “remains a critical issue in the region, with millions of individuals experiencing barriers to empowerment initiatives and social protection, among others.”
He challenged the ECOWAS Commission to employ people with disability “as part of the Commission’s effort to prioritise inclusion.
He added that based on human right, “disability is a part of human diversity that must be respected and supported in all its forms, people with disability have the same right as everyone else in society.”
Speaking on what Nigeria has done to ensure inclusion, Enitan said Nigeria ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of people with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007 and passed the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act 2018 and subsequently approved the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, with the mandate to coordinate and implement activities that ensure the inclusion of persons with Disabilities into society in areas such as education, healthcare, employment, civil rights, and related matters, as outlined in the Act.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof Fatou Sow Sarr, on her part, stressed the vulnerability of people living with disabilities.
Sarr said the regional body has intensified efforts and is working with various bodies to initiate programmes to provide palliatives.
She also revealed that the Commission was currently implementing a pilot project in Togo and Nigeria which will provide assisting devices to children with disabilities.
This programme, she said, is expected to cover other member states in the future.
Meanwhile, public offices not accessible to people living with disabilities will be sealed, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special needs and equal opportunities, Mohammed Abba-Isa, has said.
Abba-Isa said that President Bola Tinubu is expected to launch the presidential Committee for accessibility this third quarter.
The Committee, according to him, has been saddled with the responsibility of implementing the country’s disability Act.
Abba-Isa said Ministries, Departments and Agencies that fails to restructure to accommodate easy accessibility for people with disability will be sealed as part of the implementation policy of disabikity inclusion.
The presidential aide noted that the grace period given to the offices had expired.
He spoke in Abuja at the opening of a two day maiden edition of meeting of ministers in charge of disability inclusion in West Africa. The meeting is meant to adopt the region’s action plan for the inclusion of disabilities.
He said, “Mr. President has mandated my office to make sure I implement the regional action plan.
“We are going to launch accessibility committee. We are going to engage with all the MDAs.
“We are going to launch a presidential taskfoce all because if you look at the moratorium or grace period given to all these buildings to modify or adjust has passed, the five years moratorium period.
“ So we are now in the implementation stage and Mr President has given us the mandate.
“ All these offices that did not comply we are going to seal them because we are at the implemetation stage. “
He stressed that Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.
So we are liaising with the Ministry of Humanitarian and Povery Alleviation, other agencies and the National.Commission for Persons with Disability to set up the committee and Mr President will soo launch the committee.
He said the committee is going to checkmate all the charade against accessibility of public buildings by people with disabilities.
He however said it is going to be a gradual process since the Act was recently signed into law.
Citing the case of United States, Abba-Isa said despite 35 years of existence of the law, there are still some buildings that are not accessibile for people with disability.
Nigeria calls for establishment of ECOWAS agency for disability Affairs
News
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Government has distributed relief materials to 434 indigenes of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area who were recently rescued by security agencies after spending three months in Boko Haram captivity.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the victims in Pulka on Monday and directed the immediate distribution of food and non-food items to support their recovery and reintegration.

In compliance with the Governor’s directive, the Director General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Ali Abdullahi Isa, promptly supervised the distribution exercise.
Each rescued person received a bag of rice, a bag of maize grits, a mattress, a wrapper, and a shadda, while children received two pairs of clothing.

In addition, 208 heads of households received N50,000 each, fulfilling Governor Zulum’s earlier pledge of financial assistance.
Speaking during the distribution, the SEMA Director General said the intervention was part of the government’s immediate response to ease the hardship faced by the rescued victims.

“I am here at the instance of His Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who was here some few days ago, and to deliver the items he directed that it should be given to you as emergency relief,” Ali stated.
The rescued individuals are currently receiving medical care and psychosocial support at a government facility. Upon completion of the rehabilitation process, they will be reintegrated into their respective communities.
The exercise was carried out alongside the Chairman of Gwoza local government, representatives of the Ngoshe community, and other officials.
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
News
Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs
Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, marked Democracy Day with the handover of two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and critical logistics to the Nigerian Army, after joining internally displaced persons (IDPs) for a symbolic celebration and distribution of food items to 2,500 beneficiaries.
The armoured MRAPs delivered to the Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai on Friday are intended to enhance troop protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ambushes which remain a persistent threat in the fight against insurgents. Additional logistics include operational Hilux vehicles and motorcycles for frontline soldiers in difficult terrains.
Zulum also marked Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Madinatu camp where he distributed food supplies, non-food items, and cash gifts to thousands of beneficiaries.
The distribution, held at the Madinatu IDP camp, served to consolidate Zulum’s resettlement gains. Over the past seven years, Borno State Government has successfully resettled more than 2 million IDPs in their ancestral communities in a dignified and voluntary manner.
“It gladdens my heart today, the 12th of June, 2026, to celebrate June 12th, Democracy Day, here in Madinatu Camp, the only formal camp that is standing inside Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, today, to the glory of God and the benefit of mankind, for the distribution of food and non-food items. Inshallah, this camp will be closed this year. This will be our last distribution exercise in this camp, or the second to the last,” Zulum said.
However, Governor Zulum used the occasion to announce a timeline for the camp’s closure. The governor ordered that Madinatu camp be shut down within one month, vowing to similarly close most IDP camps across various Local Government Areas in the coming phase of his administration’s resettlement strategy.
“Democracy must translate into restoring the dignity of our people,” Zulum told the IDPs. “Living in camps is not a permanent solution. Our goal remains to return every displaced person to their ancestral homes with security and means of livelihood.”
In addition to the food items, Zulum approved N50,000 each for the 2,500 beneficiaries present at the event.
“Each of the 500 beneficiaries mentioned will receive a 25kg bag of rice and a 25kg bag of sorghum. Women will receive wrappers. I also promise to provide 50,000 naira to each beneficiary. This amount can be credited into their own individual accounts, inshallah,” Zulum said.
The exercise was attended by the APC’s State Deputy Chairman, Garba Mulima, APC State Vice Chairman (Central) Abdur Rahman Abdulkarim, Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mallumbe, Member representing Jere at the State Assembly, Abba Kyari Kolo, commissioners and commissioner designates and several other senior government officials.
Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs
News
Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano
Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano
By: Michael Mike
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for the arrest of a suspected gun courier intercepted while allegedly transporting weapons believed to be destined for criminal elements in Katsina State.
The commendation was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Thursday, June 12, 2026.

Governor Yusuf described the operation as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against banditry, terrorism and other violent crimes threatening communities across Northern Nigeria.
According to information provided by the DSS, the suspect, identified as Muhammad Abubakar, 30, was apprehended in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State while allegedly transporting four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, three AK-47 rifles and two empty magazines to Funtua in Katsina State.
Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that the suspect collected the weapons from an individual identified as Bello in the Maigatari border area of Jigawa State and was expected to receive N450,000 upon successful delivery of the arms.
Governor Yusuf praised the professionalism, vigilance and intelligence-driven approach of DSS operatives, noting that the timely interception prevented the weapons from falling into the hands of bandits and other criminal groups.
He said the operation underscored the critical role of intelligence gathering and effective collaboration among security agencies in tackling emerging security threats across the country.
The governor reaffirmed the commitment of the Kano State Government to supporting security agencies through sustained cooperation, logistics assistance and policies aimed at strengthening public safety throughout the state.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information to security agencies to aid efforts to combat crime and maintain peace.
Governor Yusuf expressed confidence that ongoing investigations would lead to the arrest and prosecution of all individuals connected to the alleged arms trafficking network.
The statement was signed by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano.
Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano
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