National Working Committee on African Disability Protocol on Wednesday organized a virtual Round Table Discussion over the Africa Disability protocol for Nigeria.
In a Convention organised by the Africa Down Syndrome Network, Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, Initiative for National Growth Africa, Cedar Seed Foundation, Africa Disability Alliance, CBM and European Union. The 2-day convention was well attended by Civil Society Leaders, Disability Organizations, Public Servants, Corporate Institutions and the Governmental and intergovernmental bodies across Africa, Europe and the Americas.
The National Working Committee which was proposed, as a result of a communique from the Africa Disability Protocol Convention, is a national body to lobby the Nigerian Government in partnership with all the key stakeholders in the Government and Civil Society Organizations, in adopting and ratifying the Africa Disability Protocol in Nigeria.
Rose Mordi was appointed the Chairman of The National Working Committee and Lois Auta the Secretary.
In order to have Nigeria among the first set of countries to ratify and domesticate the ADP, Rose Mordi lead National Working Committee brought together some disability rights advocates who are most persons with disabilities to discuss ways in which they can drive the process to engage the key stakeholders in the government for the ratification and domestication of African Disability Protocol.
Rose Mordi in her opening remark urged all participants at the meeting to open up and make suggestions on what they think is practicable towards achieving the ratification and domestication of the ADP.
Lois Auta in her remark said that the essence of the meeting is to unify approaches from different disability advocates in order to find the best strategies to help for Nigeria to ratify and domesticate the ADP. Speaking further, she said that ADP was adopted by African Union in January 29, 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Nigeria which is a member country has not ratified and domesticated and some countries have already done that.
The event witnessed guests from African Union who understood AU politics and they were able to give advises on how best it could be achieved.
The event witnessed guest speakers such as Mr. Lefhoko Kesamang who is the Senior Policy Officer within the Division for Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups, Drug Control and Crime Prevention at the African Union, Mr. Kudakwashe 0pp, CEO of the Africa Disability Alliance, Mrs. Abimbola Oyelohunnu from ECOWAS who understood AU politics and they were able to give advises on how best it could be achieved.
The meeting was moderated by ever resourceful Racheal Inegbedion from the Special Needs Initiative for Growth.
Among the suggestions, the prominent ones were to increase awareness on disability issues especially ADP, engaging of relevant stakeholders in the government, use of social media to drive the message, issuing constant press release on ADP, build the capacity of OPDs and advocates on ADP to understand the contents of the law and the needs for him or her to drive the advocacy, build the capacity of the media to understand the ADP to enhance their cooperation with the OPDs to achieve result. Most importantly is the enhancement of unity among PWDs that Jake Epelle spoke on, the work would be easier if all OPDs can work together and avoid unnecessary competition that would not lead anywhere.
There was a common understanding the disability advocates at the meeting would work together under this National Committee on ADP to engage government for ratification and domestication of the Law.
Some Notable Disability Advocates at the meeting were Dr, Ijeoma Nnodim, Barr, Daniel Onwe, Barr. Florence Marcus, Agbo Christian Obiora, Barr. Danlami Basharu, Jake Epelle, CCD, Olajide Funso Benjamin, Barr. Calister Ugwuaneke, Bibora Yinkere, Blessing Ocheido, Donald Unanka, Dolapo Winnie and others.
TQM learnt that National Committee which has been expanded going by the outcome of the meeting because the Chairman of the Committee Rose Mordi was impressed with the caliber of the disability advocates present at the meeting and she adopted them as members of the National Committee and the engagement is ongoing until the result is achieved.
