By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has thrown its weight behind the Bauchi State Government in a fresh drive to strengthen disability inclusion and ensure equal participation for all citizens in governance.
This comes as the state formally inaugurated the Disability Inclusion Technical Working Group (DITWG) — a multi-sectoral platform aimed at mainstreaming disability issues across all sectors of development.
Speaking at the ceremony held at Maryama Hotel Bauchi, the UNFPA Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Muriel Mafico, whose remarks were delivered by Olawunmi Akande, said the initiative marks “a significant milestone in the collective resolve to ensure that no one is left behind.”
She stressed that disability inclusion is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and should be viewed not as charity but as a matter of “human rights, justice, and sustainable development.
“UNFPA is deeply committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities—especially women, girls, and young people—have equal access to sexual and reproductive health services, education, and meaningful participation in decision-making,” Mafico said.
The UN agency pledged continued support for the new Working Group through research, training, and inclusive programming to ensure that disability inclusion becomes institutionalized in all aspects of development planning in Bauchi State.
In her welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Brisca Joram Aaron, described the inauguration as “a new dawn for inclusion, coordination, and empowerment” in the state.
She praised Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, noting that his administration has strengthened institutional frameworks and initiated a review of the State Disability Law to better protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
“Through this Working Group, we aim to build a Bauchi State where accessibility, equality, and inclusion are not merely aspirations, but lived realities for every citizen,” she said.
Aaron explained that the Working Group will bring together government agencies, UN bodies, civil society, and organizations of persons with disabilities to harmonize efforts, drive policy reform, and promote advocacy on disability rights.
The event ended with a renewed pledge of collaboration between Bauchi State and UNFPA to ensure that inclusion becomes a way of life — not just policy — across all sectors of governance.