Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In Awka, the Anambra State Chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), emphasizing the need for a sustainable and inclusive society. The event, held alongside the organisation’s End-of-Year Meeting and Praise Day, carried the theme, “Let’s Praise God,” while aligning with the 2025 global IDPD focus: “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Society for Advancing Social Progress.”
Opening the proceedings, JONAPWD State Chairman, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, stressed that the annual IDPD observance serves as a vital platform to raise awareness about disability issues, promote dignity, and advocate for policies that ensure persons with disabilities are fully included in all aspects of society. He highlighted that meaningful development cannot be achieved when any group — particularly persons with disabilities — is excluded from education, employment, healthcare, governance, infrastructure, and community life.
Okeke noted that the event was not only a celebration of resilience but also an opportunity to address ongoing challenges faced by persons with disabilities. He underscored their significant contributions to education, sports, business, culture, innovation, and governance, while lamenting the persistent barriers limiting their full participation. Among these challenges, he cited inaccessible public buildings and transport systems, limited employment opportunities, weak enforcement of existing disability laws, discrimination, inadequate assistive devices, poor inclusive education structures, and insufficient representation in decision-making positions.
Calling on the state government to take decisive action, Okeke urged stronger enforcement of the Disability Rights Law, improvements in accessibility of public infrastructure, empowerment of the Disability Commission, and expansion of livelihood and employment programs. He also appealed to religious institutions to make worship spaces more inclusive and actively combat stigma within communities.
The chairman commended Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo on his re-election, framing it as a reflection of public confidence, and praised both the governor and the First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo, for supporting the disability community through empowerment programs and welfare initiatives. He also acknowledged the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for extending economic support to 250 persons with disabilities in Anambra State, delivered through the governor’s office. Okeke emphasized that this initiative would enhance financial independence for the beneficiaries and encouraged them to utilise the funds responsibly.
The event concluded with assurances that future editions of the program would include more participants, strengthening ongoing efforts to promote the rights, welfare, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Anambra State.
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