Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has restated his administration’s firm commitment to dismantling barriers limiting the full participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in society.

The governor made this known in a goodwill message on Wednesday to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), issued through his Special Assistant on Persons with Disabilities, David Anyaele.

Describing the annual observance as an opportunity to promote deeper understanding of disability issues, Mr Otti said it highlighted the rights of PWDs and the benefits of integrating them fully into political, economic, social, and cultural life.

He stated, “We are joining the international community to pause and reflect on the state of persons with disabilities’ participation and contributions to the socio-economic development of our state.”

Mr Otti said his administration remained committed to guaranteeing the welfare of all PWDs through policies that promoted equal opportunities.

He added that those efforts were guided by the Abia State Disability Law, the National Disability Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

He noted that the 2025 IDPD theme, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress”, aligned with Abia’s values and reinforced the government’s resolve to ensure that removed barriers never resurfaced.

Highlighting steps taken so far, Mr Otti disclosed that the state had trained permanent secretaries across ministries, departments, and agencies on disability inclusion, the state disability law, and disability-responsive budgeting to ensure inclusive governance.

He added that ongoing upgrades to public infrastructure were prioritising accessibility, noting that newly acquired mass-transit buses now featured support systems for persons with physical disabilities, pregnant women, and the elderly.

The governor further said that disability inclusion training had also been extended to local government mayors and chairmen across the three senatorial districts.

He added, “Additionally, more than 800 primary healthcare workers, teachers, and parents or carers have been sensitised on supporting children with intellectual disabilities in Abia.”

Mr Otti reaffirmed his government’s stance against forms of discrimination, stigma, and isolation, pledging to scale up disability-inclusive programmes in the coming year and beyond. 

(NAN)