CARE Paid An Advocacy Visit To NTA Abuja Channel 5

Accessible Aviation: NTA Abuja Channel 5 hosted an advocacy visit by CARE Nigeria and pledges to support the Advocacy

The Executive Director/Founder Center for Ability Rehabilitation and Empowerment, Dr. Chike Okogwu during his speech Monday 17 October, 2022 at the advocacy visit of CARE Nigeria to NTA Abuja Channel 5 stated that the organization was established to bring succor and restore the dignity of Persons with Disabilities. 

Dr Okogwu narrated his personal story on how he survived a car crash on the 15 December 2006 that left him paraplegic from waist down on his way to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA)iAbuja. He stated that disability can happen to anybody at some point in life even in old age.

He appealed to the NTA Abuja Channel 5 team to join the advocacy and lend their advocacy voice to promote the rights of PWDs in Nigeria. 

He commended President Mohammadu Buhari for assenting to the bill in establishing the rights and protection of persons with disabilities for the first time in the history of Nigeria.

He said that CARE was founded to frame the focus on the solutions rather than the problems facing PWDs, and in crying out and pleading for the solutions, “Oxfam came to our rescue through the Voice in Nigeria project. And with that, within the past one year, a lot of interventions have been accomplished.

“In Nigeria, persons with disabilities don't need to buy an extra ticket to fly. Before now a PWD needed an extra ticket which would pressure the pockets of persons with disabilities.”

“Currently there is a disability desk at the Abuja Airport, which is run by the organization. And further to that, all NCAA and FAAN have made specific waiting areas, which is also like a disability desk at all Nigerian airports.

At the Abuja airport, there are stair climber wheelchairs and ambi scissors lift that rises to the height of the aircraft to lift and carry PWDs into the aircraft and sign language interpreters to guide and assist PWDs."

The leadership and management of NTA channel 5 promised to support the CARE Nigeria advocacy team and will develop programs that lend voices to  the organization.