Mr. Olusola Owonikoko, the Executive Director of Project Enable Africa, has called on stakeholders to collaborate in the concerted effort to implement the Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act. The plea was made during the Disability Inclusion and Leadership Awards and dialogue night held in Nigeria.
Project Enable, a community development initiative founded in 2014, is dedicated to advocating for the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities in Nigeria. The organization emphasizes the importance of ensuring a good quality of life for everyone, with a strong commitment to eliminating discrimination based on disability.
Owonikoko highlighted that Nigeria took 18 years to pass the disability bill into law, expressing concern that such a delay should not have occurred given the significance of the legislation in improving the welfare of persons with disabilities (PWDs). He stressed the need to prevent a recurrence of such prolonged processes.
“While we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disability, it is crucial to understand that the full implementation of the Act is essential for the promotion of disability rights and social inclusion for persons with disabilities,” Owonikoko said.
The Disability Inclusion and Leadership (DIAL) awards were organized to celebrate the tenacity and resilience of persons with disabilities in Nigeria. The event also included the screening of a documentary created in collaboration with Columbia University in New York. The documentary aims to document the processes that led to the enactment of the Nigerian Disability Act and recognize those who played pivotal roles in its realization.
Owonikoko stressed the importance of having conversations about what went wrong, what could have been done better, and showcasing these aspects through the documentary. He believes that such documentation can expedite processes and create awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities.
The Executive Director of Global Hope and Justice, Mr. Paul Ihekwoaba, emphasized the significance of the DIAL award in recognizing the pioneers of the struggle that resulted in the disability law. He acknowledged the progress made, attributing it to the efforts of advocacy groups, the National Commission for Persons with Disability, and the establishment of the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Disability.
The event concluded with the presentation of awards, with Mohammed Isa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability Matters, receiving the Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Leadership Award for his significant contributions to the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
