By Bavoriat Clara
Abuja, Nigeria – July 29, 2025
A coalition of disability rights organizations has called on the Nigerian government and development partners to take concrete action toward implementing national and global commitments to disability inclusion, particularly those affecting women and girls.
The call was made during a press conference convened by the MimiJane Foundation for Women and Children with Disabilities, in collaboration with Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative, Alliance for Disability Justice, and the Family Center Initiative for Challenged Persons in Abuja.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of the MimiJane Foundation, Ambassador Mube Awala Beatrice, said the event was organized to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to disability inclusion and to amplify the voices of women and girls with disabilities who continue to face systemic marginalization. She noted that although Nigeria made over 30 commitments under the Amman-Berlin Declaration at the 2020 Global Disability Summit, implementation has been slow, particularly in areas that impact women and girls.
Head of Programs and Advocacy at Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative Mercy Jorkyundan, emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive and disaggregated data to guide the planning, implementation, and monitoring of disability-inclusive policies and programs.
She stressed that without such data, women with disabilities remain excluded from development processes.
The Representative of Alliance for Disability Justice, Comfort Ekwo spoke on the need for inclusive education, accessible healthcare, and economic empowerment initiatives designed to meet the specific needs of women and girls with disabilities.
Also speaking, MaryJane Okeke of the Family Center Initiative for Challenged Persons echoed the call for stronger partnerships between policymakers and disability-focused organizations to drive inclusive progress.
The MimiJane Foundation and its partners highlighted the persistent data gap on women with disabilities as a major challenge to their inclusion in national policies and budgeting frameworks.
They jointly urged for the full implementation of Nigeria’s disability commitments to ensure that the rights and needs of women and girls with disabilities are integrated into all aspects of national development.
The event concluded with a unified appeal for accountability, policy reform, and sustained action to ensure that no one is left behind.
admin