The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has established 84 assistive IT projects across the country of Nigeria to assist those with special needs and to support social programs that help underprivileged people lead better lives.
“The e-Accessibility project seeks to meet the ICT needs of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria by providing ICT tools, assistive technologies, training, and Internet provision in the identified locations. Between 2012 to 2020, the NCC has deployed the e-Accessibility Projects in, at least, 84 locations nationwide.”
During a courtesy visit from a delegation from the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to the NCC in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, revealed this. The EVC also reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to continuously support people with special needs across the nation.
Danbatta said in a statement that the telecoms regulator has always carried out measures targeted at promoting digital inclusion for all Nigerians regardless of their circumstances as she welcomed the NCPWD team led by its Executive Secretary, James Lalu.
The EVC, who was represented by Usman Malah, Director, Human Capital and Administration at NCC, stated that the telecoms sector has grown tremendously over the past two decades, going from 400,000 telephone lines on the cusp of sectoral deregulation in 2000 to over 208 million active telephone lines today. In the same period, active Internet subscriptions have increased to 156 million.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data issued as of the second quarter of 2022, the EVC reported that the contribution of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is currently 18.44 percent. Danbatta further stated that NCC has continued to guarantee that consumers receive quality service delivery and that everyone has access to digital technology.
In light of this, Danbatta stated that the NCC acknowledges and concurs with the admirable goals that drove the creation of the NCPWD, as made possible by the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.
According to the NCC Chief Executive, the telecom regulator has carried out numerous projects within the framework of its E-Accessibility Programme that target the challenged members of society in the last ten years, in addition to implementing the five percent inclusiveness of persons with disabilities in NCC’s staffing efforts in accordance with the law.
“In other words, the project provides ICT tools and Assistive Technologies (ATs) to the blind, the deaf, dumb, crippled, cognitively impaired, and other categories of people living with disabilities. As disadvantaged members of society, the project is designed to assist in improving the quality of life of people living with disability,” he said.
According to Lalu, the executive secretary of the NCPWD, the agency’s visit was to keep the management of the NCC informed of its responsibilities and actions and to seek deeper partnerships with the NCC for the benefit of Nigeria’s estimated 35.5 million people with disabilities.
In support of the nation’s disabled citizens, he praised the NCC for its “great work it has been performing through various projects.” Lalu also pleaded with the NCC to aid in educating telecom service companies about the need to adhere to the law’s demand that they allocate 5% of their employment quota to people with disabilities.
He claimed that despite their infirmities, this group of Nigerians is “clever, professional, and intelligent” and can significantly contribute to the growth of the enterprises in which they are employed.
“What we want to achieve is to make Nigeria a country that is comfortable for PLWD by ending discrimination and providing adequate reporting system and we have seen NCC as a strategic and important partner in this journey,” Lalu said.
