Writing By Daniel Karlmax, Editing By Godwin Duru
As Nigeria faces increasingly violent annual floods, extreme weather patterns, and rising temperatures linked to climate change, people living with disabilities have been identified as among the most vulnerable when disasters strike.
Disability advocates and climate experts say these challenges are pushing already marginalized groups further to the brink, with limited inclusive emergency planning across the country.
These issues were the central focus during an advocacy visit by the Kaduna State Climate Change Accountability Mechanism (KadCCAM) to the Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board.
Speaking during the visit, the Co-Chair of KadCCAM, Mr. Ibrahim Yakubu, said the engagement was necessitated by the need to strengthen collaboration with the Board on issues related to the fight against environmental degradation, desertification, flooding, and other climate change factors caused by irrational human activities.
According to Mr. Yakubu, the effects of climate change are cross-cutting and spare no aspect of human life, hence the need for the state accountability mechanism to engage everyone, including persons with disabilities, in efforts to make Kaduna greener and better.
“This visit is to deepen our rapport with you, enlighten young persons with disabilities in schools, and create forums where we can synergize with the Kaduna horticulture sector to train them on how to plant and nurture trees to protect the environment.
“From surveys, we have discovered that persons with disabilities are among the worst hit. Access to roads becomes a major problem for them, especially during the rainy season,” he added.
Responding, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board, Hajia Rakiya A. Umar, described the visit as timely, noting that the Board is ready for the partnership considering the negative effects of climate-related disasters on its members.
On his part, the National Chairman of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria, Mr. Rilwanu Abdullahi, urged federal and state authorities to translate national disability rights laws into climate-responsive policies that ensure accessible infrastructure and protection during disasters.
He pointed out that the partnership would serve as a platform for a stronger relationship that would amplify their voices, particularly in the implementation of disability laws and the creation of safe spaces for members to move freely.
The Chairman noted that climate change affects persons with disabilities differently, depending on their conditions, ranging from hearing and visual impairments to mobility challenges and albinism, among others.
Disability rights advocates, including Mr. Silas Luka and Mrs. Hajara Silas of the Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board, emphasized that inclusive planning would not only save lives but also strengthen Nigeria’s overall resilience to climate change.
They advocated disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction strategies, including accessible evacuation routes, disability-friendly shelters, trained emergency responders, as well as local practices such as tree planting and routine environmental sanitation to enhance safety.
Delivering a keynote address, the desk officer on climate Change at the Ministry of Environment Mr. Bello Abednego explained that the creation of Climate Change Accountability Mechanism was designed to bring all stakeholders, including persons with disabilities, together to drive meaningful solutions to the global challenge.
He added that the state government has undertaken measures such as desilting water channels and dredging River Kaduna, among other local strategies, to combat environmental challenges.
Daniel Karlmax
