Lagos State office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) GM Adenike Oyetund-Lawal had an epiphany when she took office. Here in this interview with ER is how that has colored her view of disability affairs management and the community.
Many in the Lagos disability community say a LASODA’s general manager doesn’t have to be a PWD. What would you say about that?
I don’t know, honestly speaking. I happened to be a PWD; I happened to be the current GM of LASODA. That is the only reality I know.
Another similar to that: You don’t have to be grounded in disability management and policies to manage LASODA. What’s your view?
Everybody believes that everything will always be lovey-dovey and sweet—until the rubber meets the road. With leadership in any capacity, anybody can attest to the fact that everybody knows what to do until they are actually given the opportunity to do it. It’s then we really know if they can do it I can’t really say whether a LASODA manager should be a PWD who understands disability management. These are interesting questions that have no global overview as to impact. Unfortunately I can’t give an answer away from what I know. And that’s: whoever can do the job should be allowed to do it.
An August 6 conference on built environment last year didn’t include LASODA among stakeholders invited. Yet the LSSPL provisions make it clear LASODA’s basic goal is to mainstream disability across MDAs. Why is this still difficult 12 years after the law?
It still a problem across the board, globally—in popular countries, in the US, the UK and Canada. As in many things, evolution must take place. And evolution, a lot of the times, has to be spearheaded first by individuals and then by policies. I like that what you mentioned is not even seen. There have been collaborations, but we will intensify our efforts. I will do my best for the time that I have. We must remember these responsibilities are not just for the MDAs. Unfortunately many of these concerns are not front-burner conversations yet.
What has LASODA done about mainstreaming disability in health care and education? Neither is accessible yet even at the most basic level which is communication, despite the disability law’s provisions, and their roles in PWD empowerment.
You understand the problem the health care system is bedeviled with in Nigeria. You understand this is not just a disability worry. “Japa” is impacting the sector. My predecessor had an engagement in the health space. Unfortunately, when you go on the field you see that high turnover is one of the issues facing the primary health care system. But by the grace of God, we will see how we can intensify efforts through the help of corporates in providing technical assistance, advocacy, and collaborations. As you can see: it is now that I am here that I understand why it is impossible for all of these to happen at once just because there is a law.
Disability got 0.005 percent of the N2.3 trillion Lagos budgeted for 2024. Part of this went for random handouts to PWDs. How can LASODA sustain this if relevant MDAs don’t incorporate disability into their programmes and policies?
Your choice of words is very interesting. Well, I am very pragmatic. When you enter, we will see how different you will make it. It’s also fascinating when you said handouts. You know what they are? I will keep it at that. People must eat, no matter how fancy, great, lofty your policies are. If people can’t eat, your ideas fall on deaf ears. So we will continue to intensify our efforts in supporting homes and non-profits so they can put food on the table for the children they house. Some of these children are given to them by the government when the supposed family members who dump the children cannot be tracked. We also ensure that our door is open as it concerns the need for the disability discourse to spread across the MDAs. The average person expects that because there is an office for disability affairs, everything that has to do with disability must come to that office. That’s fallacious, impracticable, and unsustainable. At the moment, the agency is nearing 100 homes and non-profits registered. As you know the issue of scarce resources, even though we give them the handouts, as you rightly called it, we unfortunately won’t be able to give all of them. So at the end of our administration, the hope is that these homes will be able to feel the financial impact of the government. There are several other assistance and support to the homes—like providing them assistive devices, helping them relocate, persuading home owners to make their properties purpose-fit. You know that even around the world not every building is purpose-fit. There have to be adaptations. We also stand as their intermediary, guarantor. We have also supported NAB during their White Cane Day and World Braille Day. We want to keep up the advocacy for NAB.
You stated at the deaf-blind conference held last year that your administration will focus on establishing a database for PWDs in Lagos. Any update?
Once we have an update on that, the general public will be informed.
