In a bold move to advance disability rights across the African continent, Nigeria has held a high-level Roundtable on the Implementation of the African Disability Protocol (ADP) in Abuja.
Jointly organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), and The Ability Life Initiative (TALI), the event marked a significant shift from policy ratification to actionable implementation.Key outcomes of the roundtable included commitments to harmonise the 2018 Disability Act with the ADP, adopt state-level disability legislation, establish a Disability Rights Trust Fund, and launch coordinated national awareness efforts.
The roundtable brought together key actors from government institutions, civil society, and development partners to chart a national roadmap for the protocol’s implementation.
In attendance were the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Ayuba Burki Gufwan; the UN Resident Coordinator, represented by Ms. Ekaete Umoh, and leadership from the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and other organisations of persons with disabilities.
