In furtherance of its sustained commitment to the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, donated and distributed relief materials to Persons with Disabilities.
The distribution exercise took place at the Yangoje Leprosy Colony, Kwali Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Speaking during the exercise, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Ayuba Gufwan Burki, reaffirmed the Commission’s deep concern for, and commitment to, alleviating the challenges faced by Persons with Disabilities, particularly in the area of welfare.
Hon. Gufwan noted that while periodic interventions and relief support remain important, the long-term focus of the Commission is to empower Persons with Disabilities to become self-reliant and economically independent.
“Our desire is to empower these communities to be self-reliant. Looking at the population here, including the number of children, it is clear that dependence on handouts alone cannot sufficiently cater for the growing needs of Persons with Disabilities,” he stated.
The Executive Secretary commended NEMA for its timely intervention and responsiveness to the plight of Persons with Disabilities, as demonstrated in the leprosy colony, and called on the Agency to extend similar support to other vulnerable disability communities across the country.
He also cautioned beneficiaries against selling the distributed items, warning that such actions would undermine the good intentions of the government.
“These materials are meant strictly for your use. We do not want to see them in the market. I have spoken with the Emir, and a task force will be constituted to monitor usage and report back to us,” he emphasized.
Receiving the items on behalf of the community, the Emir of the Leprosy Colony, Alhaji Ali Isah, expressed profound gratitude to NCPWD and NEMA for the generous support, describing it as timely, especially at a period when many residents were struggling to meet basic needs.
He assured that the relief materials would be judiciously distributed and utilized to alleviate the suffering of families within the colony.
Also speaking on the sidelines of the event, the North Central Coordinator of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Comrade Mike Gideon, commended the Executive Secretary of NCPWD for his fatherly leadership and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Persons with Disabilities. He also appreciated the Federal Government for the intervention.
Comrade Gideon, however, noted that more still needs to be done in the area of infrastructure development, particularly electricity and other social amenities within the colony, and urged beneficiaries to make wise use of the relief items.
The items distributed, under the supervision of the Executive Secretary of NCPWD and officials of NEMA, included 300 bags of rice (25kg each), 300 bags of beans (25kg each), 150 cartons of spaghetti, 30 kegs of vegetable oil (5 litres each), 30 cartons of tomato paste, 30 bags of iodized salt, and 30 cartons of seasoning cubes.
Other items distributed were 300 water purification kits, 300 blankets, and 300 sleeping mats.
Signed
Ishaku Kigbu (anipr)
Head, Media and Publicity
National Commission for Persons with Disabilities
17 December 2025
