By Olayinka Ajayi

Lagos—THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has tasked the Federal Government on comprehensive policies to support persons living with disabilities, as it would help procure their data across Nigeria.

Speaking during a one day strategic meeting in Lagos, yesterday, tagged ‘Capturing of Disaggregated Data of persons with Disabilities across Nigeria’ organized by the INEC in collaboration with the International Federation of Election System, IFES, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Lagos State, Sam Olumekun, said: “We need comprehensive policies to support the need of those with disabilities. We often view those with disabilities through the lense of deficits as against their strength.

“The United Nations, UN, believes that there is need to promote the right and well-being of persons with disabilities.’’

READ ALSO:PDP pledges to defend Nigeria democracy, institutions

In the same vein, INEC Deputy Director on civil society organization, Dorothy Bello, reiterated the need for capturing disaggregated data of persons with disabilities saying, “the exclusion of certain groups in decision making not only creates more divide and potentially, and less peaceful society, but also limits the excluded group in protecting it’s own interests.”

“There is an urgent need to capture the disaggregated data of persons with disabilities across the country. This will assist the commission towards knowing the concentration of voters with disabilities, numbers, gender and type of aid to procure and deploy that will help the commission in inclusive planning.”

Vanguard