The Federal Government has once again, reiterated its determination to ensure that youths living with disabilities in the country are given equal opportunities and adequate attention, to become productive and contributing members of the society.
This renewed commitment of Government is targeted at scaling up the implementation of life-changing activities for youths with special needs.
The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Akin Dare, made this known to Government officials, Participants and Press men, during the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on Mentoring and Life Enhancement Programme for Youth Living with Disabilities, organised by the Ministry recently, in Abuja.
Mr. Dare in his speech, reaffirmed that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and indeed the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, recognises the importance of all Nigerian youth irrespective of their physical status, have equal opportunities and also enjoy all rights and privileges of citizenship, in line with the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals and the ‘’Leave no one behind’’ Agenda.
The Minister added that participants at the workshop would have the opportunity to be fully involved in the flagship programme and activities of the Ministry, such as the ‘DEEL’ initiative, which means D-Digital Skills Acquisition, E-Entrepreneurship, E=Employability, L-Leadership and NOYA-Nigerian Online Youth Assembly, a website, created as online platform by the Ministry for the Nigerian Youth both locally and internationally to have access to relevant links and information on employment and business opportunities in Nigeria and around the world.
Declaring the workshop open, Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari, represented by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Pauline Tallen, noted that, young people with disabilities were among the poorest and most marginalised persons around the world today, she therefore urged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with youth component in their budget appropriation, to ensure that no youth is left behind, because everyone counts.
Speaking on behalf of the Wife of the President, the Minister commended the Ministry for organising the workshop, adding that it was important to recognize the vision, imagination, ideals and energies of all young people irrespective of their physical conditions as they are equally vital for the social-political and economic development of our great nation.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Gabriel Aduda, expressed that youth with disabilities deserved well coordinated attention and intervention from government, to enable them actualise their dreams and aspiration.
He enjoined participants to pay full attention to all the training sessions packaged for their benefit and also maximize every derivable opportunities of the workshop.
There were goodwill messages from the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Youth, and the chairman House Committee on Youth, other various government officials and stakeholders who graced the occasion.
Olatunji John
ACIO
For: Director, Press
