THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Women Commission under the umbrella body of Coalition Against Gender-Based Violence and Harassments, has approached the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for a collaboration on job provision for the physically challenged persons in Nigeria.
Led by the national chairman, Comrade Hafsat Shaibu, members of the TUC Women Commission, who were at the NDE headquarters in Abuja on a courtesy visit, appealed to the directorate to ensure that more of the people living with disability are considered for skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development.
She said the aim of its appeal is to provide them with decent employment in order to forestall street begging and other social vices.
She said, “TUC as labour centre is impressed with what NDE is doing in terms of providing skill acquisition opportunities and providing jobs for the unemployed in the country. We are here to sensitise the directorate on the 2019 and 2022 Geneva resolution against gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace which has been ratified and signed into law in Nigeria.
“Most importantly we are advocating for more inclusion of the vulnerable and the physically challenged into the employment programme of the NDE.
“We know you are doing quite well in the provision of trainings and empowerment for the unemployed nationwide but more needed to be done for the physically challenged. They are part of us; some of them are our brothers and sisters and above all, they are Nigerians and have the right to be catered for under the constitution of our fatherland.
“As you may be aware, some of them are quite educated and possess good qualifications. Their responsibility lies on us; we cannot throw them away and in fact some of them are not created that way. Accident can happen to anybody at any material time.”
She further cited Section 29 of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, adding that at least five percent of employment opportunities under the law should be given to people with disability.
The TUC Women Commission also appreciated the Director-General of the NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, for his gender sensitivity as exemplified in the gender balancing of the executive management of the directorate.
Responding, the Director-General noted that NDE was established in 1986 with the mandate to provide jobs for the unemployed Nigerians irrespective of gender, religion or physical body condition.
He said government has made it mandatory for all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to reserve five percent for those living with disability in employment processes. This, he said, NDE has strictly complied with.
The DG also commended the TUC women for visiting the NDE. He assured that NDE is always ready to assist anyone who is ready to learn a skill or trade either with challenge of disability or otherwise.
He said, “NDE is established to serve all Nigerians who are willing to learn skills or become entrepreneurs and become self employed. Every person who desires to have skills impacted to him or her will have it. In fact, the Nigerian vulnerable is a major stakeholder in the benefits of the NDE.”
He added that NDE has created a window of skills acquisition opportunity for people with disability since its inception in 1986, long before the Prohibition Act was signed into law.
Fikpo said, “The opportunities are there for all of them. The onus is on them to choose among many programmes and schemes of the NDE that is suitable to them.”
