The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, has reiterated Federal Government’s commitment towards investing in Persons living with Disabilities in Nigeria.
The Minister stated this when she received in audience the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Subham Chaudhuri and his team, in Abuja recently.
She said with the signing into law, the Discrimination Against Persons living with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Ministry has been working hard towards the establishment of a Commission for Persons living with Disabilities.
She stated that, “This is anchored on investing in our people. It is one of the 17 Goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which says ‘leaving no one behind’. We want to be seen as a government that actualises that goal. It is a pillar of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), as well as the human capital agenda of government”.
Farouq described the Ministry as an all-encompassing Ministry that touches all areas the World Bank is working on in the country and should be seen as one of the primary stakeholders of the Bank.
She disclosed the Ministry’s readiness to work closely with the World Bank to come up with programmes that would have direct impact on the citizens.
Earlier, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Subham Chaudhuri, noted that the Bank has 189 – member countries and provides concessional financing to help member countries make progress on developmental agenda that will assist in eliminating extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity to help people enjoy improved living standards.
He said, “World Bank provides help through financing, and other support it could provide in terms of technical assistance and sharing experience of what could work or not in other countries”.
Chaudhuri disclosed that the World Bank has provided about ten and half billion dollars in the past five to six years, which is in form of programmes that are financed through the funds that the Bank provides, saying about 4 billion dollars have been disbursed or spent and about 6 billion dollars are still undisbursed.
He continued that the team was in the Ministry to discuss how the Bank works and areas on which it hoped to work with Nigeria, especially on scaling up efforts in restoring economic opportunities to the conflict-affected areas around the Lake Chad region.
Rhoda Ishaku Iliya
Assistant Director Information
