Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Edo State have called on the Federal Government to amend the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to mandate oil companies to allocate at least five per cent of their workforce to individuals with disabilities.
This demand was among the key outcomes of a three-day workshop in Benin City, focused on securing greater inclusion of PWDs in benefit-sharing structures under the PIA across the Niger Delta. The workshop, themed “Ending Barriers Against Niger Deltans with Disabilities (EBAND),” was organised by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and supported by the Ford Foundation.
A charter developed at the workshop urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to enforce employment quotas for PWDs in host communities, in line with national disability legislation.
Participants also demanded the inclusion of PWDs in Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs), accessibility of PIA-funded projects, improved healthcare services, scholarships, and the establishment of reliable data on persons with disabilities in oil-producing areas.
They further emphasised the need for disability rights to be integrated into Trust Deeds and operational frameworks guiding host communities’ development.
Mr Godwin Unumeri, Acting Director of CCD, described the charter as a unified call for equity, stressing the importance of ensuring that PWDs are not sidelined in the implementation of the PIA.
He encouraged PWDs to pursue roles across Edo’s economic sectors and not depend solely on government charity.
Also speaking, Ann Ojugo, Chairperson of Edo JONAPWD, thanked the CCD and Ford Foundation for their support, pledging to disseminate workshop outcomes to PWDs in local government areas to expand impact.
(NAN)