From Our Correspondent
Addressing challenges faced by Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) requires strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders, a Presidential aide has said.
Mr Mohammed Isa, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, made the remarks at the launch of capacity-building training for PWDs, on Thursday in Abuja.
TheNewsZenith reports that the occasion also witnessed the distribution of free reusable sanitary pads for women and girls with disabilities. The training focused on orange-fleshed sweet potato farming.
Nigeria Women Economic Development (NigWED), in partnership with UNFPA, organised the programme.
Other partners are the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Advocacy for Women With Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) and Africa Tomorrow Plus Foundation, among others.
Isa said his office has the mandate to create equal opportunities for all. This, he emphasized, is in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“Achieving this mandate is only possible through partnerships like this one.”
He also noted that his office is committed to partnering with relevant local and foreign collaborators for necessary support.
“As part of our efforts to promote good menstrual health and hygiene practices among women with disabilities, we will champion the campaign of reusable sanitary pads.
“It is a significant strive towards enhancing the dignity and quality of lives of women and girls with disabilities.
“By integrating agricultural training and menstrual health initiatives, we are addressing the multiple challenges facing PWDs,” TheNewsZenith quotes Isa as saying.
He commended NigWED for the initiative and encouraged the beneficiaries to embrace it.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr George Salau, said empowerment “is at the heart of training”.
Salau said the ministry was taking a critical step towards enhancing menstrual hygiene management. This is by providing essential training on the use and maintenance of reusable sanitary pads.
“We are introducing and training PWDs in the cultivation of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
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“This is a testament to our dedication to improving nutritional standards and food security.
“This initiative not only addresses the issue of vitamin A deficiency but also opens doors to economic opportunities,’’ he said.
According to him, the ministry is empowering women and girls with disabilities to engage in sustainable agricultural practices.
“By this, we are paving the way for increased income generation and self-reliance.”
Mr Lugard Okonobo, the Director-General of NigWED, said the training aims to empower and engage women. Through the training, they will become self-reliant and healthy.
Okonobo expressed optimism that the project would extend to other parts of the country.
He appealed to the SSA to the President to help NigWED in acquiring farmlands for farming activities among the PWDs.
This, he noted will empower the PWDs and enhance food security.
Mrs Wunmi Laolu-Akande, representing the Country Director of UNFPA, said UNFPA would partner with NigWED.
“This is because the sexual reproductive health of women is UNFPA’s heartbeat.
She remarked that the community would benefit greatly from the training and the distribution of sanitary pads.
Aisha Ndakun, a WASH advocate, said more than 1.8 billion girls and women menstruate every month.
Ndakun added that 500 million women in the world do not have access to sanitary pads.
She said the reusable sanitary pads initiative would help in solving the problem of access to sanitary pads.
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