The Ondo State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) has expressed readiness to collaborate with the Disability Not a Barrier Initiative (DINABI) and the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) to ensure adequate representation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the State Single Register.
The State Coordinator of SOCU, Olaoluwa Bankole Esq., gave the assurance while receiving delegations from DINABI and JONAPWD at his office in Akure.
Welcoming the guests, Bankole appreciated the initiative to foster a sustainable partnership, emphasizing that SOCU remains open to collaborations aimed at improving the welfare of PWDs in the state.
He reiterated that SOCU’s core mandate includes the interests of PWDs, who are recognized as part of the vulnerable population.
“Our mandate is to establish and expand the Ondo State Single Register of the Poor and Vulnerable across all communities in the 18 Local Government Areas,” he said.
Bankole added that the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), which provides oversight for SOCU, prioritizes the inclusion of PWDs and is committed to ensuring their fair representation in the Social Register.
He assured that SOCU would keep DINABI and JONAPWD informed about any upcoming expansions of the register and encouraged them to continue sensitizing their communities to participate actively in forthcoming field exercises.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Olajide Olafunso, representing DINABI, thanked SOCU for the warm reception and acknowledged its openness to engagement.
He noted that DINABI has been implementing projects across various states in Nigeria, and is currently focused on advancing the rights of PWDs to quality healthcare and inclusive social protection in Ondo State.
“Our visit to SOCU is in line with our focus on inclusive social protection,” Olafunso stated.
Commending SOCU’s ongoing efforts to include PWDs in social protection programs, he emphasized the need for structured collaboration to ensure that PWDs are adequately captured in the Social Register.
He also disclosed that DINABI has recently conducted a baseline survey assessing the level of PWD inclusion in social protection programs in Ondo State. The findings, he said, would be publicly presented at an upcoming stakeholders’ dialogue.
Olafunso stressed that PWDs should not be treated with pity, but should be integrated through structured systems that consider the unique nature of their disabilities.
Also speaking, Mr. Abiodun Samuel Oluwasegun, Chairman of JONAPWD, expressed gratitude for the warm and inclusive reception from SOCU. He appealed for early notification ahead of field exercises to allow JONAPWD sensitize its members for effective participation.
In her vote of thanks, Mrs. Busayo Ademeko, Women Leader of JONAPWD, praised the cordial reception by SOCU and expressed optimism for a sustainable and productive working relationship.
