With over 1 million Lagosians living with one form of disability, Association of Intellectual disabilities in Nigeria, AIDDN, and the Children Developmental Centre, CDC, have trained parents of children living with disabilities, particularly, Celebral palsy with a view to assist them in managing their wards living with such conditions.

Speaking at the 2017 Seminar organised by the association in Lagos, the Special Adviser on Social Development to the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Joyce Onofowokan disclosed that presently over 3 million persons residing in the state have one form of disability or the other.

Onofowokan said the Governor,  Akinwunmi Ambode has also ordered the collection of data of those living in Lagos State so that the state can get the actual figure of persons living with disabilities.

“The state Governor recently gave people living with disabilities the sum of 500 million to help them establish their own businesses. The government is presently carrying out advocacy to educate people living with disabilities on how to manage them and also how to prevent parent from having children that will later become disabled.

She further disclosed that the government was planning to build an intervention Centre in Lagos that will help to diagnose cerebral palsy in new born babies as early detection and treatment helps to reduce the effect on the child as he or she grows up.

Onofowokan advised Women to attend antenatal clinics, eat fresh food and avoid junk foods and also avoid three days of long labouring when they are pregnant,  these according to her,  are some of the causes of children being born with cerebral palsy.

Speaking, the National President, AIDDN, Prince Segun Joseph, said the programme was organised to educate parents with children living with Celebral palsy on how best to manage their wards living with disabilities.

Speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, CDC, Dr. Yinka Akindayomi said that Children living with disabilities have the right to live and be educated, hence the need for the seminar.

“Our collaboration with the Association of intellectual and developmental disabilities of Nigeria is also to help teach parents with children living with disabilities how to manage the situation so that these children can be properly educated like other children.”

“At Children Developmental Centre, we catch them young because early intervention and early treatment helps to reduce the risk, improve the lives of children living with disabilities, and manage children with disabilities so that they can be able to do almost everything a normal child can do.”