Economy
MR Donald Unanka, Creative Director of Abuja Arts Ability Festival, said that People With Disabilities (PWDs) have been marginalised and needed support to explore their potentials.
Unanka who said this at a 3-day festival to showcase the creative talents of PWDs o on Friday in Abuja, said the event was to celebrate World Disability Day.
The Festival Tagged “2022 Abuja Arts Ability Festival“, was organised by Potters Gallery with support from UNESCO.
“We support people with disability to showcase their artistic and creative potentials.
“We use this even to connect them with different agencies helping them to sell their talents and what they can produce and be self-reliant,” he said.
He said that there deliberate policies designed by government to ensure that PWDs make maximum gain from the entire arts and creative industries.
“The arts and creative industry is very large and according to UNESCO the industry is the second largest in the world
“We need to call on the stakeholders in the art and creative industry to begin to implement the disability law.
“We have a law that has a lot of instruments to compel both government and other stakeholders to ensure inclusion of PWDs in all sectors.”
Mr Chris Agbo, Entertainment Organiser, appealed to relevant stakeholders to ensure inclusion of PWDs in all sectors.
Susan Ihioma, a participant said people with disabilities were not objects and not looking for charity.
“We are able, we have over 31million disabled persons which isolated, will be a disservice to the nation,” she said.
Pelemo Ava-Nyajo, Shadow Country Director, Plan International Nigeria, said people with disabilities have been contributing positively to the nation’s development in spite their conditions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for 2022 celebration is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development, the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world”.(NAN)
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Tags: Chris Agbo Donald Unanka Pelemo Ava-Nyajo People With Disabilities Potters Gallery UNESCO
