The Nigerian government has called for the establishment of the ECOWAS Agency for Disability Affairs (EADA) to foster an inclusive region where persons with disabilities are not left behind.
This initiative, announced by Mr. Abel Enitan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, aims to integrate regional policies and strategies on disabilities, enhancing support and opportunities for individuals with disabilities across member states.
Enitan made this announcement during the inaugural meeting of ministers responsible for disability inclusion in West Africa, held in Abuja. The meeting focused on adopting the region’s action plan for disability inclusion and urged member states to ratify relevant disability instruments promptly.
Highlighting the importance of disability inclusion, Enitan emphasized that “this affirmative action must be viewed through the prism of human diversity, ensuring individuals with disabilities have ample opportunities to participate in decision-making processes within ECOWAS.”
Further supporting disability inclusion, Nigeria has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and enacted the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, establishing the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to coordinate and implement inclusive policies.
Additionally, Mohammed Abba-Isa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, announced that public offices inaccessible to people with disabilities would be sealed. This enforcement follows the expiration of the grace period for ministries, departments, and agencies to comply with accessibility requirements. President Bola Tinubu is expected to launch the Presidential Committee for Accessibility in the third quarter, which will oversee the implementation of the country’s disability Act and ensure compliance across all public buildings.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, also emphasized the region’s commitment to supporting people with disabilities, mentioning ongoing pilot projects in Togo and Nigeria that provide assistive devices to children with disabilities, with plans to expand to other member states in the future.
