The Oyo State Government has increased the 2025 capital budgetary allocation for Persons With Disabilities by over 70 per cent of what they received in 2024.
The State Governor, Seyi Makinde, disclosed this during the celebration of the 2024 Stakeholders Summit and International Day of PWDs, in Agodi, Ibadan, the state capital, on Monday.
Represented by his deputy, Bayo Lawal, the governor spoke on how the government has fared with the welfare of the disability community in his four-year administration.
He noted that all the requests of the PWD for the next year’s budget plans as submitted during the last Budget Town Hall meetings formed the increase of their capital budget to N877,500,000.
The governor added that their capital budget was initially N492,000,000, while the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ overhead cost has increased from N315,000,000 to N345,000,000.
“It is believed that both will take care of their requests which include transportation empowerment, training of relevant agencies with what their roles will be for the PWD, training of enforcement agencies for compliance, purchase of assistive devices, mobility equipment among others”, Makinde said.
Makinde added that the state had recruited 510 PwDs into the state civil service.
“I have also given a directive that henceforth, in every ministry the quota of the PwDs must be protected,” he added.
Makinde recalled that, as soon as he assumed office on May 29, 2023, he appointed Ayodele Adekanmbi as the pioneer Director-General of the state Agency for PwD.
He also appointed Timothy Olufemi as the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Disability Matters to ensure that PwDs are carried along in governance.
“Presently as we speak, disability cluster groups’ grants and subvention have been approved, and in no distant time, three operational vehicles will be delivered for the smooth running of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
“It is on the record that I am the first Governor to politically empower persons with disabilities by appointing them as Supervisory Councilors and SAs across the entire Local Governments of the state, which was what made us stand out as an all-inclusive government all over the country,” he said.
Earlier, the Director-General of the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Adekanmbi, said the administration of Makinde was truly committed to providing opportunities for People Living PwDs.
“The agency has continued to receive all the necessary support from the administration to ensure that PwDs are carried along.
“Since the coming of Makinde’s administration, there are some deliberate initiatives the governor has put in place to improve access to governance and quality of service to PwDs”, he said.
