THE NIGERIAN DISABILITY FRAMEWORK: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS FOR THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS * WITH DISABILITIES
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Abstract
Over 10 percent of Nigerians are said to be living with disability by sheer prudence or accident and these people are confronted daily with several challenges. One of the most prominent among these challenges is gross marginalisation occasioned with discrimination on the basis of their infirmity. This study seeks to look into the various Nigerian Disability framework on ground vis-a-vis the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (the convention) as well as its optional protocol all of which Nigeria is a state party to and freely ratified, to see tire extent the needs and rights of persons with disabilities in Nigeria have been adequately provided for and safeguarded in sync with the spirit emd letters of the convention. In order to actual ise the lofty ideals above, much reliance was placed on desktop research methods for the most part, on a study of texts such as literatures on the area of study, various conventions, scholarly research reports, publications and other documents. Some of the categories of Persons with disabilities are children, womer and adults, some are orphans and are so vulnerable and are relegated to the back, viewed as objects of charity rather than subjects with rights. They suffer discrimination in diverse sectors of the society and are equally excluded from the mainstream of the society. The wider society do not see any good thing in them nor their ability to contribute their quota to national develgpment, they suffer some violations to their rights and are confronted with barriers to full enjoyment of their rights. From the foregoing, one would agree that without proper legislation in force, the challenges that these set of people face would become insurmountable. Unfortunately, as it stands today, the federal legislature is yet to enact a Disability Law to checkmate the frequent abuses from diverse quarters these most vulnerable group are currently exposed to because of the absence of a specific legal framework to safeguard their human rights. This project enjoins the Federal Government to swiftly accent to the bill before it and in all their deliberations and plans concerning persons with disabilities, some nominated members of these groups should be involved while discussing things that pertains to their welfare such that their real interest would be adequately represented.