Oliver Nweke
The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) is set to develop a curriculum for Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS on disability development. The Facilitator General and Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Ademokoya Julius of University of Ibadan, Special Education Department, while presenting the report to the Executive Secretary, NCPWD, James Lalu recently in Abuja expressed the profound appreciation of members of the committee for being part of this milestone in the country’s education.
Prof. Julius Ademokoya, who spoke on behalf of the committee expressed their appreciation to the Executive Secretary, James Lalu, who in his wisdom initiated this step, first in the country, that Nigeria tertiary institutions should have a general studies and expose students to disabilities and inclusive society in Universities, polytechnics and the national Institute of policy and strategic studies.
‘Prof Ademokoya said “we have for the past five days, been working on developing specific curriculum, one for the university, one for the colleges of education, another for the polytechnics and monotechnics. And also another for the participants at the prestigious Nigerian institute for policy and strategic studies, NIPSS”.
“According to the mandate given to us, we have developed curriculum that has details, fundamentals and essentials for all disabilities and inclusive development studies. Starting from introduction into what disabilities are; including the developments and the emergence of people with disability, what they have gone through in time and space. We have also included issues having to do with what are required, particularly understanding the knowledge that every student, regardless of his course of study, what they’re supposed to know on disabilities, the needs of their colleagues with disabilitie. The need to do away with whatever misconceptions, superstitions and myth they might have come up with from their homes and have the scientific basis and true conditions over disabilities. And we believe with all these developments, this curriculum is going to facilitates better understanding, better relationship between students with and those without disabilities. It is a strong belief that with this document when implemented, we’re going to have an inclusive society where there is no gap, where there’s no discrimination, where there is no separation. “
In his remark, the Executive Secretary, NCPWD, James Lalu, shower his encomium and appreciation to the members of the committee for a job well done. He said “thank you for your commitment and dedication to actualizing this. I see this as the first step in reducing to the minimum, discrimination against PWDs. I believe personally and very strongly that once we are able to put this into our universities, polytechnics and colleges of educations, it is going to establish new friendship, new relationship between persons with disabilities and non-disability students. “
Speaking on the difficulties students with dsiabilities face in school, the ES said, “I have personally experienced it personally, from my NCE to my present PhD, one thing we say is that let the next generation should never pass through the rough experiences we have passed through.”
Mr. Lalu assured the committee that the curriculum will as soon as possible be implemented in tertiary institutions in the country. “First of all, I must make sure we present these to the Minister for Education, then we will go and meet all the respective institutions for a follow up to make sure that we engage them to secure their approvals”.
“This is the first curriculum we are developing, very soon we are going to develop curriculum for accessibility program on disability for engineers in Nigeria. Disability engineering is something very, very important to us. We want to see accessibility experts in Nigeria, we want to see accessibility consultants in Nigeria that will join the construction industry. This will be the very beginning, the starting point for us to be able to add to this issue of accessibility”.
“Today, When we talk about accessibility, most of our engineers, 80 to 90% of them, the only thing that come to their mind is about ramp, accessibility goes beyond that. we are working on developing this curriculum for Nigeria minimum accessibility standard”; the Executive Secretary concluded. Members of the Committee who are drawn from various higher institutions and other Educationists across the country included;
Prof. Julius Ademokoya, Musa M. Musa, Prof Jibril Isa Diso, Prof. Ozegya A Egwa, Prof. Alphonsus Yakubu, Prof. W. Obiozor, Dr. Juliana R. Bodang, Dr. T. A. Adaka, Dr. Abubakar Isa Ibrahim, Dr. Bridget Audu, Dr. Iquo Okon Mkpa, Gabriel Soje PhD, Tashi A, Tashi, Ishaku Adamu, Onyemachi Constance N, Muhammed Musa, Opeolu Akinola, Usman I. Kadala, and Yusuf Bello Yakubu