The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has provided food and non-food support to more than 700 persons with disabilities in Maiduguri, Borno State. The intervention, held at the Borno Oil Mill along Baga Road, is part of the Commission’s mandate to cushion hardship and support vulnerable groups across the Northeast.
Beneficiaries were drawn from four major clusters of disabilities persons with physical disabilities, the blind, the deaf, and those affected by leprosy.
Ahmadu Umar, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Borno State Chapter, confirmed that 706 members benefitted. He noted that each received a 25kg bag of rice, a carton of instant noodles, a carton of spaghetti, 10kg of sugar, a mat, and a blanket. Umar added that JONAPWD has over 21,000 members across the state’s 27 local government areas and is partnering with NEDC to expand outreach.
Mustapha Muhammed, Chairman of the Nigerian Association of the Blind, described the support as timely and impactful, stressing that it has touched the lives of hundreds of members.
Similarly, the Secretary General of Persons with Physical Disabilities, Muhammed Aji, commended NEDC for ensuring inclusion. He revealed that over 300 women and 406 men benefitted, reflecting a deliberate balance in gender representation.
Aji praised the Commission for consistently prioritizing persons with disabilities in its humanitarian programs.
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