The pledge was made when the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ADRC), in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme, paid an advocacy visit to the Agency’s headquarters.

Managing Director/CEO of the ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, noted the Soludo administration’s determination to make governance work for all, including PWDs. 

He said intentional inclusion remains central to the Governor’s technology-driven vision for the state, adding that the Commission recently received a range of digital tools to enhance its productivity.

“Technology is only truly impactful when it works for everyone, regardless of physical ability. We are committed to removing digital barriers and making our platforms accessible to all residents of Anambra State,” Agbata said.

He also disclosed that the Agency will appoint a Disability Desk Officer, work with the Commission to ensure all government ICT platforms meet accessibility standards, and incorporate PWD-friendly features into ongoing upgrades of the SolutionLens feedback platform.

During the visit, ADRC’s Head of ICT, Bonaventure Umeokwonna, outlined the Commission’s priorities, while RoLAC representatives pledged continued support to build capacity and strengthen the policy framework for inclusion.

Valentine Nwachukwu, head of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Commission, gave the vote of thanks, commending the ICT Agency’s openness to collaboration.

The Anambra State ICT Agency continues to work closely with ministries, departments, and agencies to deepen digital transformation across the state, ensuring no segment of society is left behind.

PIN stated this in commemoration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

Access to information is a globally recognised human right for all, including persons with disabilities.

However, the realisation of this right for persons with disabilities is a challenge despite commitments in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development to ‘reach the furthest behind first’ and ‘leave no one behind.’

While at least 29 countries in Africa, have developed access to information laws, the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation recommended that countries that amend or adopt access to information laws should recognise the rights of persons with physical and intellectual disability, put in place mandatory minimum accessibility standards and ensure that the process for requesting information is accessible.

This recommendation came following a study by UNESCO which evaluated the access to information laws in 132 countries and found that 37 explicitly refer to persons with disabilities and their rights to varying degrees.

The report demonstrated that there is limited access to information for persons with disabilities in line with Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls on states to ensure persons with disabilities have access on an equal basis with others, to information and communications.

Despite the availability of the Universal Service Fund (USF), governments have taken slow steps to dedicate funding to support development and access to ICTs and assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.

PIN’s Londa report highlights the application of the USF in 26 countries in Africa and recommends the enactment and implementation of relevant policies that will ensure digital inclusion for persons with disabilities.

This call also comes at a time when, globally, persons with disabilities, including children with learning difficulties, have limited access to educational information.

They face significant barriers to education because traditional learning methods usually do not cater to their unique needs, leading to frustration, disengagement, and a higher risk of dropping out of school.

The lack of available data on the accessibility of ICTs for people with disabilities is a major setback, which has limited access to technologies for people with disabilities.

PIN acknowledges that some governments in the Global South have adopted e-government services.

However, according to the United Nations, over 60% of online national portals include features that are not accessible.

Despite these challenges, PIN acknowledges efforts made by the United Nations and governments in adopting the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, which in Paragraph 30 (d) of the Pact of the Future and Paragraphs 13 (b), 35 (c) and 36 (d) of the GDC and commit to seize opportunities provided by new and emerging technologies to empower and advance equity for persons with disabilities, including through promoting the availability of assistive technologies and, enhancing inclusion, eliminating barriers that prevent full, meaningful and effective participation of other stakeholder groups and persons with disabilities.

To improve access to information for persons with disabilities, Paradigm Initiative calls on governments to do the following:

• Align laws and regulations with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure that access to information laws recognise the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Utilise the Universal Service Fund to fund access to ICTs for persons with disabilities, to improve access to information.
• Establish oversight mechanisms to address and monitor the implementation of ICT accessibility initiatives for persons with disabilities.
• Provide data on the state of accessibility of ICTs for persons with disabilities.

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“The E-Accessibility project seeks to meet the ICT needs of persons with disabilities in Nigeria by providing ICT tools, assistive technologies, training, and Internet provision in the identified locations. Between 2012 to 2020, the NCC has deployed the E-Accessibility Projects in, at least, 84 locations nationwide.”

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by a delegation from National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to the NCC over the weekend in Abuja, where the EVC also restated NCC’s commitment to continually support people with special needs across the country.

Danbatta, while receiving the NCPWD team led by its Executive Secretary, James Lalu, said the telecom regulator has always implemented initiatives aimed at ensuring digital inclusivity for all Nigerians regardless of their circumstances.

Represented by Usman Malah, the Director, Human Capital and Administration at NCC, the EVC said telecoms sector has become the backbone of the national economy and has recorded tremendous growth from 400,000 telephone lines on the eve of sectoral deregulation in 2000 to over 208 million active telephone lines now, just as active Internet subscription rose to 156 million in the last two decades.

The EVC stated that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) currently stands at 18.44 per cent, going by the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as at the second quarter of 2022. Additionally, Danbatta said that NCC has continue to ensure quality of service delivery to the consumers and digital inclusion for all.

Accordingly, Danbatta said the NCC recognises and aligns with the noble objectives behind the establishment of NCPWD as enabled by the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.

The NCC Chief Executive stated that in addition to implementing the five per cent inclusiveness of persons with disabilities in NCC’s staffing efforts in accordance with the law, the telecom regulator, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), has executed many projects within the framework of its E-Accessibility Programme in last 10 years that targets the challenged members of the society.

“In other words, the project provides ICT tools and Assistive Technologies (ATs) to the blind, the deaf, dumb, crippled, cognitively impaired, and other categories of people living with disabilities. As disadvantaged members of society, the project is designed to assist in improving the quality of life of people living with disability,” he said.

In his remarks, the NCPWD’s Executive Secretary, Lalu, said the purpose of the agency’s visit was to keep the NCC management abreast of its mandates and activities, and to seek greater collaborations with NCC for the benefits of estimated 35.5 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

He commended the NCC for the “wonderful work it has been doing through various projects in support of people with disabilities in the country.”

Lalu slso appealed to the NCC to help in creating awareness among telecoms service providers to comply with the legal requirement to dedicate five per cent of their employment quota to persons with disabilities.

He said this category of Nigerians are ‘smart, professional and intelligent’ and can make significant contribution to the growth of the respective organizations employing them, despite their disabilities.

“What we want to achieve is to make Nigeria a country that is comfortable for PLWD by ending discrimination and providing adequate reporting system and we have seen NCC as a strategic and important partner in this journey,” Lalu said.

The NCPWD was established, pursuant to section 31 of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act 2018, to promote, protect and prioritise the rights of persons with disabilities, and to further enhance their productivity through education, health, and other socio-economic activities and programmes.