Lois Auta, Flora, Unilever, GTBank, Anambra State Receive Honourary Awards
Prominent persons in the Disability Community were among awardees at the yearly Disability Inclusion And Leadership (DIAL) Awards for outstanding individuals with disabilities and organizations.
The awards, which cut across various fields of human endeavours were presented to deserving personalities and organizations at her annual event held Thursday, to commemorate this year’s international day of Persons with Disabilities.
Every year, Persons with Disabilities all over the globe celebrate the International Disability Day on the 3rd December. The day is set aside by the United Nations to promote better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On this day also, achievements of Persons with Disabilities are celebrated and the public is enlightened on challenges faced by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The theme for this year is “Leadership and Participation of Persons with Disabilities towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world”
The DIAL Awards platform, is a pet project of Project Enable Africa, with support from Access bank. It is focused on celebrating achievements and progress of the community of Persons with Disabilities. It does this by recognizing and rewarding individuals and organizations championing Disability Inclusion across sectors in Nigeria and Africa.
This year’s event featured disability dialogue series, business pitching competition, Deaf can dance show, DIAL Awards, Business fair and networking.
In his welcome address, the executive director of project Enable Africa, Olusola Owonikoko said that the objectives of this project is to find inclusive solutions and economic empowerment opportunities through collaborations with private and public institutions to advance the community of persons with disabilities in Nigeria, adding that the most important current in this time is collaboration.
In his keynote address, Kola Olugbodi appreciated Project Enable for what they are doing to make life easier for people with disabilities and for advocating inclusivity especially in the choice of accessible building for the just concluded DIAL Awards.
Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan from Access bank in her goodwill messages said this award will continue to inspire individuals and organisations to actuate the disability inclusion in the process.
She said PWDs are more likely to experience poverty in Nigeria than those without disability. As individuals and organisations we have important roles to play to ensure social inclusion of PWDs is achieved.
She said as a financial institution, Access bank is committed to breaking barriers for people with disabilities and close all gaps to accessibility.
Chairman of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, Lagos State Chapter, Dr. Adebukola Adebayo in his address urges organisations of persons with disabilities, OPDs, to focus more on persons with disabilities from the grassroot level. He also tasked OPDs to take the letter to the government and relate more with association of persons with disabilities so they won’t be left behind.
Among the awardees was Lois Auta-Udonkata, chairperson, Network of disabled women and Cedar Seed Foundation. Madam Lois got the award for Disability advocate of the year. This is coming on the heels of her tireless advocacy to advance the rights of women, girls and Persons with disabilities in the FCT and some States in Nigeria.
Flora Ugwunwa, the para javelin world record holder was honoured with Disabled Sportsman of the year.
Other recipients of the awards include:
Anthony Olumide Kupe – most outstanding individual in the Disability community
Anambra – Most Inclusive State
The Orange Ribbon Initiative – GTBank – Most Disability CSR program
Unilever – Most Disability Inclusive Organization
Sickle Cell Foundation – Organization leading advocacy for disability inclusion.
In the business pitching competition, entrepreneurs with disabilities received cash prizes. Adesola Oyebode, a physically challenged tailor, was given 500 dollar cash prize for her easy to grab zippers and buttons designed especially for persons with physical Disabilities. Husienni Oluwaremilekun, a person with physical disability, won 300 dollars for her poultry business expansion, and Gladys Ibrahim, visually impaired, received 200 dollars to expand her honey business.
Photos from the event:
