As part of its ongoing efforts to promote inclusive development and protect the rights of persons with albinism, the Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN), with support from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), trained over 100 staff and community members in a two-day capacity building workshop to equip them with critical knowledge on advocacy, health rights, climate change, and media engagement.
According to the organisers, the workshop infused deliberate focus on climate change and its disproportionate impact on persons with albinism, especially in relation to extreme sun exposure.
The workshop featured sessions led by seasoned facilitators, including Dr. Sylvanus Welle from the Federal Ministry of Health, who spoke on health rights and access to services. He emphasized the need for specialized care and policy reforms to address the unique health needs of persons with albinism.
AAN Programme Coordinator, Mr. Joseph Akuse, facilitated a session on leadership and community mobilization, urging participants to leverage their lived experiences in driving advocacy and change within their communities.
Climate change and its disproportionate impact on persons with albinism formed a core part of the workshop discourse. Through group activities, participants explored local environmental challenges, particularly extreme sun exposure, and proposed practical, community-based solutions.
Participants were also introduced to effective media engagement strategies to amplify their voices and raise awareness about the rights and challenges faced by persons with albinism.
Vice President of AAN, Hajia Maryam Ishaka, urged participants to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions within their communities.
The workshop concluded with a communiqué adopting key resolutions to strengthen advocacy for accessible healthcare, ensure access to protective materials like sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats, promote climate resilience through education, enhance media visibility for albinism issues, and develop localized advocacy action plans across AAN chapters.
In her remarks, AAN’s National President, Dr. Bisi Bamishe, thanked DRF for its continued partnership and described the workshop as a timely intervention to empower grassroots changemakers.
“This is more than a training; it is a platform to birth changemakers across our chapters,” she said.
The two-day event reinforced AAN’s commitment to inclusive development and the protection of human rights for all persons with albinism in Nigeria.