Ambassador Chukwzubelu Ikechukwu Umeizudike has urged Nigerians to demonstrate love and compassion towards persons with disabilities (PWDs) to enhance their lives and contribute to society.
During a Valentine’s Day special event held at the Media Sports Centre, National Stadium, Lagos, Ambassador Umeizudike, who was represented by his wife, emphasized that genuine love involves kindness and inclusivity, rather than mere words.
The event, organised in collaboration with Kelly Blind of Wazobia FM, brought together various disability groups, including individuals who are blind, deaf, autistic, dwarfs, and people with albinism. Kelly Blind, also the founder of the Inner Eye Foundation, urged the government to prioritize the welfare of people with disabilities, emphasizing the need for improved employment opportunities, vocational training, structured empowerment programmes and the implementation of the 2019 Disability Act.
Beyond financial struggles, Kelly Blind stressed the mental health challenges faced by PWDs, many of whom rely entirely on goodwill for survival.
Mrs Esther Oboli, a pharmacist and mother of a child with a disability, David Oboli, shared how she struggled for years to secure her son’s admission into school until former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola intervened, helping him enter Modupe Cole Special School, Akoka. She urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to make PWD welfare a priority.
Entrepreneur Oscar Ikechukwu Obi, representing the Albinism community, criticized society’s neglect of PWDs and urged families, stakeholders, and the government to work together to end discrimination.
The event featured live music performances by a visually impaired group, live performance music by Expensive on “E go waka and judgement “comedy from MC Dollar, and comedian CrazyEgbon motivational speeches, with Ambassador Umeizudike distributing 10kg bags of rice, food packs, and drinks to PWD families and caregivers.
With increasing calls for inclusion, stakeholders urged the government to implement sustainable policies that can empower and uplift Nigeria’s disabled community.
