By Lanre Oloyede
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has underscored the far-reaching economic benefits of establishing Farm Cities for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.
Hon. Abba Isa made this known at the historic inauguration of the Local Organizing Committee for the planning and mobilization of funds towards the establishment of PWD Farm Cities nationwide.
The initiative is spearheaded by the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), an agency under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, in partnership with the Peace for Humanity Foundation.
In his remarks, the Presidential aide warmly commended the NCPWD and the Peace for Humanity Foundation for conceiving what he described as a bold and transformative initiative capable of redefining economic inclusion for Persons With Disabilities in Nigeria.
He noted that agriculture remains the most expansive and absorbing sector of the Nigerian economy, with vast value chains spanning cultivation, processing, packaging, storage, marketing, and export.
According to him, the sector possesses the capacity to employ millions of Nigerians if properly structured and supported.
“The establishment of Farm Cities specifically designed for Persons With Disabilities will open structured, accessible, and inclusive opportunities for PWDs who are already farmers, while also encouraging new entrants to embrace agriculture as a viable and dignified means of livelihood,” he stated.
Hon. Abba Isa observed that across rural communities in Nigeria, many Persons With Disabilities are already engaged in farming under harsh and difficult conditions. He lamented that most lack access to modern equipment, improved seedlings, financing, irrigation systems, extension services, and structured markets.
“They labor daily with resilience but without adequate institutional support. This project seeks to change that narrative,” he added.
He explained that the proposed Farm Cities would serve as organized hubs of agricultural productivity—centers where accessibility, technology, mechanization, capacity building, and financing converge.
Through the initiative, PWD farmers are expected to gain access to funding windows, government intervention programmes, development partners’ support, modern farming techniques, and integration into national and international agricultural value chains.
Aligning the project with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the SSA emphasized that the initiative would significantly advance inclusive economic empowerment for Persons With Disabilities and other vulnerable groups. He stressed that it would transition many from subsistence to sustainability, from marginalization to productivity, and from exclusion to economic relevance.
More importantly, he noted, the Farm Cities would position Persons With Disabilities not merely as beneficiaries of government policies but as active contributors to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and drivers of economic growth.
“When empowered with the right tools and opportunities, Persons With Disabilities are not liabilities—they are assets to national development,” he affirmed.
The inauguration of the Local Organizing Committee, he said, marks the beginning of a strategic journey.
The SSA charged members of the committee to mobilize resources, engage stakeholders, attract partnerships, and develop a clear roadmap that would transform the vision into measurable and impactful realities across the six geo-political zones.
He reiterated that the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities remains fully committed to supporting initiatives that promote sustainable empowerment, food security, job creation, and economic inclusion for Persons With Disabilities.
The highpoint of the event was the formal inauguration of the committee by the representative of the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
Dignitaries present at the event included: representatives of the Executive Governors of Kano, Ekiti, and Bauchi States; the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Barr. Ayuba Gufwan; the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; representatives of the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa; the Honourable Minister of Health; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Dr. Sunday Udo, National Director of The Leprosy Mission Nigeria; Mallam Abdullahi Usman, National President of JONAPWD; and a representative of the Controller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service.
