CBM Global Disability Inclusion (CBM Global) urgently calls for Nigeria’s focused efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for people with disabilities. Ms. Ekaete Umoh, Country Director of CBM Global, stressed this need at the second maiden disability inclusion mindset series in Abuja. The event, aligning with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, carried the theme ‘United in Action to Rescue and Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with and by Persons with Disabilities’.
According to a report by The Guardian, Ms. Umoh highlighted that, despite the enactment of the Disability Act in Nigeria, the country often neglects the rights of people with disabilities. She explained that the Act, while aiming to encourage disability-inclusive development, has not seen effective implementation and enforcement. “A lack of awareness about the Act, even among those with disabilities, leads to widespread disregard for disability rights in Nigeria,” she remarked.
In her speech, Ms. Umoh referred to a recent United Nations report that shows global efforts falling short in achieving the SDGs for persons with disabilities. She called for more robust and faster efforts to address the needs and rights of this historically marginalized group.
Additionally, Nigeria has committed to various international disability rights frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Despite signing the Global Disability Summit (GDS) Charter for Change, which encourages CRPD implementation, Nigeria has been slow in making real progress, resulting in increased abuse of rights and poverty among persons with disabilities.
Matthew Mechan, Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, recognized the Australian Government’s support for CBM in Nigeria since 2015. “Our collaboration with CBM Australia through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program has been crucial in fortifying local health systems and fostering a more inclusive society in Nigeria,” he stated.
The event underscored the ongoing challenges and the urgent need for collective action to enhance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in Nigeria’s development plans.
