Nigeria has taken concrete steps toward enforcing the African Disability Protocol (ADP), following a strategic roundtable in Abuja focused on shifting from policy endorsement to full-scale implementation.
The forum was co-hosted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), and The Ability Life Initiative (TALI). It aimed to integrate the ADP into Nigeria’s national laws and policy frameworks.
Key discussions addressed the need to harmonise the 2018 Disability Act with ADP provisions, enact disability legislation at the state level, establish a Disability Rights Trust Fund, and scale up public awareness campaigns nationwide.
The roundtable brought together representatives from government ministries, civil society groups, and international partners, including stakeholders from labour, women’s affairs, and special needs offices under the Presidency.
Participants highlighted critical gaps in the country’s current disability rights landscape—such as the shortage of sign language interpreters in healthcare facilities and weak enforcement of disability laws across states.
Esther Bature, Sightsavers Nigeria’s Advocacy Lead, noted that while existing laws set the foundation, they remain ineffective without integration with the ADP. “We have the vehicle, but the ADP is the fuel we need to move forward,” she said.
TALI co-founders Prada Uzodimma and Oprah Uzodimma-Ohaeri called for an inclusive monitoring committee, urging government bodies, organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and development partners to lead and oversee the implementation process.
NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu underscored the ADP’s importance, describing it as a litmus test for Nigeria’s commitment to human rights. He emphasized the need to shift from rhetoric to tangible progress.
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