Stakeholders working with Persons with disabilities are seeking to partner with the House of Representatives Committee on Disability Matters to organise national sports festivals for PWDs.

The stakeholders comprising Afestac Media, Advocates for Global Peace Forum International, Association of Accessibility Professionals and the Big C Real Estate and Property, unveiled the plan in Abuja on Thursday.

The sports festival is one of the initiatives under the PWD’s Potentials Unhinged Project (PP-UP) aimed at ensuring inclusivity.

Speaking at the event, the Project Director of PP-UP, Mr Valentine Zhyon said that the project was designed to intentionally ensure the welfare, empowerment and wellbeing of PWDs spread across the country.

He explained that the project is made up of which include nationwide medical outreach for Pfive segments including PWDs, PWD-got-talent- a platform that allows PWDs to showcase skills and win prizes and the Unlimited Television Reality Show where a champion will emerge after series evictions.

Zhyon said that there is the One Stage Africa section, which will allow PWDs to perform on stage alongside the biggest artists across the globe, and the National Inclusive Sports Festival.

“This is a festival, a sports festival, where we have PWDs competing in marathons and other sports at a given price.

“We want to see their gifts, we want to see their talents, we want to x-ray them to the world so that inclusivity could begin to be deepened from this very project,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Disability Matters, Bashiru Dawodu (APC-Lagos) commended the initiative.

The Lagos lawmaker stated that PWDs in other climes enjoy huge social welfare and empowerment, so much so that people pretend to be PWDs.

The chairman said that it was high time Nigerians began to discuss matters pertaining to PWDs from the view of empowerment and not from the lens of pity saying that the committee was working in that direction.

In his words, it takes only a second for anybody to become a PWD, and all the challenges that come with it could befall a person and their families at any time.

The lawmaker said that the 10th National Assembly has passed a law to ensure easy access to public buildings, employment quotas for PWDs, and protection of other rights of PWDs in the country.

“After review and serious assessment, we feel that we can partner with this organisation, and that is why we approve.

“My message is that for those of us who are not PWDs, we need to understand that it’s no longer about charity; it is about empowering folks with disability so that, God forbid, if it ever happens to us, the society will be there for us,” he said.

The lawmaker commended the stakeholders for the initiative, praying that their strength and tenacity continue to increase as they empower PWDs.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Big C Real Estate and Property, Dr Joachim Aforjama, made commitments to support the festival.

He said that the firm has a reputation for supporting sports and other campaigns aimed at improving the welfare of all Nigerians, regardless of their status.


https://punchng.com/stakeholders-lawmakers-plan-pwds-sports-festival/