The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Sunday, December 3, 2017 announced that plans are underway to establish an Early Intervention Centre in 2018 to provide therapy and educational support services for infants and young children with special needs.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, Governor Ambode, while speaking at the commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), hosted by the Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) in Alausa, Ikeja Lagos Mainland, assured Lagos residents that in 2018, people living with disability will be given more opportunities to gain employment in the state civil service.
“Our administration is making plans to establish an Early Intervention Centre for the provision of therapy and educational support services for infants and young children with special needs. This will enable us equip these children with necessary skills and help develop their potential, thereby overcoming identified developmental delays as far as possible,” he said.
He also urged Nigerians to always embrace people in such situation and look out for their welfare, Governor Ambode said it was important for the general public to refrain from looking down on them but rather look out for their good qualities.
According to him, “I urge the general public to always embrace People Living with Disabilities and always look out for the good qualities God has deposited in them.”
The Governor mentioned that about 200 PLWD have been employed and come next year more will be employed, he also added that 500 persons have also benefitted from the State Government’s special empowerment programme drawn from the N500million Special People’s Fund established by the Ambode administration.
He also stated that various assistive technologies, mobility aids and financial grants were given to 2,000 persons living with disabilities and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) involved in taking care of them.
“As a government, we will continue to embark on initiatives to improve the quality of lives of our people. We will always work to develop the productive capacity of persons with disabilities and give them opportunities to play a role in socio-economic growth of our State,” he said.
