By Leonard Okachie
Umuahia, April 30, 2026 (NAN) Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Abia have commended the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) for equipping them with advocacy tools to demand inclusion in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) benefit structures.
They gave the commendation on Thursday at the end of a two-day capacity building held in Umuahia.
Speaking on behalf of participants, Mr Iroabuchi Alozie, Chairman of the Physically Challenged Association, Abia, described the training as “timely and impactful.”
“On behalf of all participants, I extend heartfelt appreciation to CCD for organising this timely and impactful two-day capacity building programme.
“It reflects CCD’s commitment to inclusion, empowerment, and equal opportunity for PWDs in Nigeria,” Alozie said
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the workshop, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, was tagged : “Building the Capacity of Persons With Disabilities to Advocate for their Inclusion in the PIA Benefit Structures in the Niger Delta Region.”
It drew participants from oil-producing communities, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, civil society, and regulatory bodies.
Alozie said the PIA presented significant opportunities for community development and economic inclusion, but stressed that “these opportunities can only be fully realised when no one is left behind.”
“This training is not just an event — it is a bridge that equips us with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to actively engage, advocate, and benefit from the provisions of the PIA,” he said.
Mr ThankGod Nwanosike from Ukwa West LGA said the training exposed him to the legal rights of PWDs in host communities.
“At least this training has been able to help us know more about our rights in the host communities.
“There is a law made in Abia that we should be included in policy making in our various oil communities in Ukwa West,” Nwanosike who has physical disability said.
“With this training now, it will help us to go and follow the right step to ask for our rights.
“It is not something that we go and fight, but we follow the right step to approach them,” he added, expressing optimism that leaders in Ukwa West would “consider it necessary to include us.”
Mr John Ehimanna, a person with albinism, also from Ukwa West, described CCD as a “big brother” and “brother’s keeper” for educating PWDs on their entitlements under the PIA.
“So, empowerment is not all about giving money. It’s all about educating because if you are not informed, you are deformed. I commend CCD for informing us,” Ehimanna said.
He pledged to be “a good advocate” and “custodian of that advocacy” in his community.
“Marginalisation, stigmatisation, and exclusion of our demands has been my experience before now, but for now, I have known the appropriate contacts. I’m going to channel my problem to them and they will adhere to that,” he said.
Mr David Anyaele, Chairman of the Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, commended CCD for implementing the project, “Ending Barriers Against Niger-Deltans with Disabilities” with focus on PIA benefits.
He noted that while the PIA provided for Host Community Development Trusts, Boards of Trustees, Host Community Advisory Committees, and needs assessments, the “historical attitude of communities towards host communities” raised concerns about the inclusion of PWDs.
“This, therefore, is in line with His Excellency, Gov. Alex Otti’s agenda for host communities.
“You recall in his January address, he called on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to give priority to host communities around programme activities.
“What they are doing here is to support in that direction and ensure that communities, oil companies and private sectors take steps to ensure that PWDs are not left behind in their activities,” he said.
Anyaele said full implementation and inclusion of PWDs in host community activities would reduce the struggles of Abia residents with disabilities in oil-producing areas.
He pledged the Commission’s commitment to support PWDs in advocacy and to engage traditional rulers and Host Community Trusts.
“We are committed in ensuring that their needs assessments, their Boards of Trustees, their recommendations are in line with the Abia State Disability Law, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” he said.
The Acting Director of CCD, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said the training became necessary because the PIA 2021 failed to acknowledge PWDs, despite the existence of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
“The disability law came up in 2018 and there is a 2021 PIA that did not acknowledge the key issues of inclusion that the earlier law for PWDs has captured,” Unumeri said.
He noted that the PIA made provision for the inclusion of women, youth, and traditional leaders in benefit-sharing structures, “but did not include, did not even say a word about the inclusion of PWDs.”
“So, we developed a demand charter across the nine oil-bearing communities, and what we have been doing is to ensure that PWDs understand what they need to do by way of advocacy,” he said.
Unumeri disclosed that participants complained of marginalisation, including alleged refusal by an elected representative of the region to meet with PWDs.
“PWDs are not being included, apart from those created by the benefit structures, they are not being included in any development efforts,” he said.
He said 30 of the 40 participants were drawn from Ukwa to ensure widespread understanding, with sessions delivered in both English and Igbo.
“We have told them specifically that they should ensure they step down this training to the remaining of their people in Ukwa,” he added.
(NAN)
