Jumoke Olasunkanmi
The British Council Director of Programmes, Chikodi Onyeremela, has urged the Federal Government to prioritise inclusive education to cater for children with special needs.
Speaking during the ‘Annual Inclusive Education Conference’ in Abuja on Tuesday, he emphasised that giving precedence to inclusive education is crucial for providing equal opportunities and platforms for all children to thrive.
He also noted the potential of inclusive education in diversifying opportunities and aligning with the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Nations across the world deploy inclusive strategies into their educational system. We must, at this stage, cast our net far and wide,” he stated, adding that “there is a thin line between ability and disability. Therefore, the government must put mechanisms in place to ensure disability concern is taken care of in our educational system.”
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), Ismail Jinadu, who was also present at the event, echoed Onyeremela’s sentiment, stressing the government’s responsibility in fulfilling the fundamental rights of children’s education.
He noted that “NERDC already has a robust framework for special needs education in Nigeria, but implementing the framework needs a holistic approach which requires immediate attention.”
Also, the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to inclusion and equality by citing the country’s signing and ratification of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 24.
The minister said, “Recognising the diverse needs of our students, we will continue to strengthen and expand Inclusive education programmes and provide services that ensure that no child is left behind. Our mission, as a ministry, is to dismantle existing barriers to the attainment of these goals and ensure that every child’s right to quality education is attained.”
In line with these efforts, the council’s Country Director, Lucy Pearson, urged the government to formulate inclusive policies and integrate them into the education system.
