Stakeholders in Kaduna State have called for climate policies and disaster-response strategies that include persons with disabilities, warning that climate change is worsening risks for already vulnerable groups.
The call was made during an advocacy visit by the Kaduna State Climate Change Accountability Mechanism (KadCCAM) to the Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board in Kaduna.
Speaking during the engagement, KadCCAM Co-Chair, Ibrahima Yakubu, said the visit aimed to strengthen collaboration on issues such as flooding, desertification, and other environmental challenges linked to climate change.
Yakubu noted that climate impacts cut across all aspects of life and stressed the importance of involving persons with disabilities in environmental planning and response initiatives.
He added that surveys indicate people with disabilities often face greater difficulties during disasters, particularly due to mobility challenges and limited access to infrastructure during flooding or extreme weather.
The Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board, Rakiya A. Umar, described the engagement as timely and expressed the board’s readiness to partner with stakeholders to improve support systems for affected communities.
Also speaking, National Chairman of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria, Rilwanu Abdullahi, urged authorities to implement disability rights laws through climate-responsive policies that ensure accessible infrastructure and protection during emergencies.
Participants at the meeting advocated practical measures including accessible evacuation routes, disability-friendly shelters, trained emergency responders, and expanded tree-planting initiatives to reduce environmental degradation.
Officials from the Kaduna State Ministry of Environment said ongoing measures such as drainage desilting and dredging of River Kaduna are part of broader efforts to address climate-related challenges.