Winning 5% of Nigerian Jobs for Persons with Disabilities

The establishment of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities by the federal government came with a number of practical solutions to the challenges facing people with disabilities in Nigeria, including the mandatory enclosure of five per cent of persons with disabilities in all employments in the country. But, since then, nobody showed serious concern about this profound window of employment opportunity for the less privileged Nigerians until a philanthropic organisation, Kpakpando Foundation took it up recently. Raphael Ehigiator writes on how they strategically got the government to commence implementation

To mark its 16th anniversary, Kpakpando Foundation, a charity organisation set up to promote the cause and wellbeing of persons with disabilities chose to escalate its yearly routine program of empowering the less privileged Nigerians, on an advocacy that would normally make life and living much better for persons with disabilities.

The foundation activated a sensitisation program capable of guaranteeing massive gainful employment with dignity and respect for persons with disabilities.

In an exceptional bold move, the organisation tasked the government and private organisations in the country to commence the implementation of the five per cent inclusion employment law for persons with disabilities.

Since October 30, 2005 Kpakpando Foundation has been assembling persons with disabilities from across Nigeria, empowering and touching their lives in vital areas of life.

So far, the foundation with membership strength of over 5,000 people with disabilities had given out 20,000 ordinary wheel chairs, 1,000 motorised wheel chairs, 5,000 grinding machines, 10,000 sewing machines, 12,000 clutches, 2,500 generator sets, 8,000 mobile phones, 3,000 tricycles, 20,000 portable radio sets and 21,000 units of white cranes to persons with disabilities.

On education, health and direct business, Kpakpando Foundation had doled out over 1,000 sustainable scholarships to persons with disabilities, provided health packages amounting to well over N50 million and established more than 200 comprehensive business centres for a number of persons with disabilities.

Moving up this year in its desire to bridge the yawning gap between the able people and persons with disabilities, the foundation, whose activities largely led to the establishment of the recently created National Commission for Persons With Disabilities, felt it was time government and the private sector are made to implement the law mandating the reservation of five per cent of employment slots for persons with disabilities.

Thus, the preparations and planning of the foundation’s 16th anniversary began with strategic steps towards ensuring that all the necessary cords were well connected and needed things put in place for potency and effectiveness of the advocacy.

With the Theme: Five per cent Employment Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria: Time to Walk the Talk, the foundation employed publics specific advocacy method, targeting mostly only the major actors and players in government, labor and activism for efficient realisation of its objective and it paid off tremendously.

Strategically, the foundation chose the right authorities on labor matters at the federal and state levels to lead discussions at the anniversary ceremonies held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige was the Special Guest of Honour; Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum as the Chairman of the day and Chief Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports Development as Special Guest of Honour.

The Minister of Labor was so chosen so as to take the message to the Federal Executive Council and ultimately to the President while Dr. Fayemi was made the Chairman of the occasion in order to get the five per cent employment inclusion for persons with disabilities’ message to his fellow governors and Chief Dare as the Special Guest of Honour to galvanise the youths on the advocacy and to also honor the Paralympians Medalists who were luxuriously celebrated at the occasion.

The Paralympians were given cash donations and plaques in recognition of their feats at the Tokyo Paralympics.

To get the buy in and support of relevant agencies of government and credible nongovernmental organisations, all the national and international organisations concerned with persons with disabilities including the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, United Nations, JONADEP and others were assigned roles at the event.

Leading the role of activism was the ever vibrant former Senator of Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye who promised to organise a national protest if the federal government fails to commence the implementation of the policy by next year.

But, as Kpakpando Foundation was dropping the invites for its anniversary, the carefully selected government functionaries saw reasons with the advocacy and never waited for the October 30 date of the event before putting machinery in motion towards the implementation of the policy, apparently.

To the joy and amazement of the Founder of Kpakpando Foundation, Senator Osita Izunaso who had in his welcome address harped on the need for government at all levels to commence the implementation of the five per cent slots for persons with disabilities without any further delay; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, UN Representative and other eminent Nigerians who had joined Senator Izunaso in appealing to government on the issue, the two most relevant highest government functionaries concerned with the issue and also present at the occasion disclosed that they had already commenced the process of implementing the policy upon the receipt of Kpakpando Foundation’s invitation.

This drew a deafening ovation that lasted for more than two minutes.

Labour Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige who felt at home throughout the program, told the gathering of more than 1,000 persons with disabilities that President Muhammadu Buhari had given the go ahead for the immediate implementation of the policy.

He did not stop at that he said all the relevant agencies and departments under his ministry had been fully mustered on the policy and that service wide circular would be presently issued to all the ministries, departments and agencies of government.

In addition, Dr. Ngige stated that the federal government was also mapping out ways of ensuring that the private sector embraces the five per cent inclusion policy as well.

The Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum went beyond informing the audience of his state’s readiness to embrace the five per cent policy as he assured Kpakpando Foundation and the gathering that he would champion the advocacy among his bother governors, “vigorously”.

Describing his fellow governors as great and responsive leaders, Dr. Fayemi expressed optimism that all of them would key into the policy, promptly.

For Ekiti, Dr. Fayemi disclosed that the state government had signed into law the Disability Act with the establishment of a centre for disability commission and a disability council to specifically manage the affairs of persons with disabilities in the state.

Pleased with the activities of Kpakpando Foundation, both the Minister of Labour and Governor of Ekiti State were full of praise for its Founder, Senator Osita Izunaso for his unceasing consistency in promoting the cause and funding the wellbeing of persons with disabilities across Nigeria since 2005 .

For Kpakpando, it was a situation where purity of intentions of a noble cause meets with great strategy and organizational knack, the result is always grand and positive outcomes.

And this is the true life of journalist turned politician, Senator Osita Izunaso in all his endeavors, professionally, politically, socially, philanthropically and in other areas where he constantly exhibits limpidness of purpose, scientific organisational skills, diligent implementation and successful delivery.

Winning the implementation of five per cent employment inclusion for persons with disabilities is a profound accomplishment for Kpakpando Foundation at 16 and a befitting 55th birthday gift for Senator Izunaso who turned 55 on the 30th of October as many of the approximately 14 million Nigerians with disabilities are now assured of a much better life with gainful and dignifying jobs, fulfilling a major vision of Kpakpando Foundation.