Sightsavers Nigeria has launched a one-hundred day campaign ahead of the Global Disability Summit to ensure that the Nigerian government make lasting commitments to People with Disabilities at the Global Summit.
The 100 days Equal World Campaign is set up by Sightsavers in collaboration with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), with the aim of addressing the needs of PWDs and ensuring they are integrated into policies and laws.
Sightsavers’ Country Director, Dr Sunday Isiyaku, noted that “the Global Disability Summit is a massive opportunity for governments like Nigeria to address inequality and promote disability rights.
“Many people with disabilities around the world face the daily denial of their human rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased this inequality, particularly for women and girls with disabilities.”
Dr Isiyaku said, “We are calling on the government to attend the Summit with high-level representation and to make ambitious, properly financed commitments that will result in real change. To achieve this, ministers must engage with people with disabilities and their representative organisations ahead of and during the Summit.”
The Acting National President of JONAPWD, Mr Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, says, “Next year’s Summit is an opportunity for the government to make their actions speak louder than their words and commit to securing disability rights.
“That is what our Equal World campaign is calling for. We look forward to working with the government to ensure the voices of people with disabilities are heard through consultations and workshops over the coming weeks and months ahead of the Summit.”
The summit is the world’s biggest gathering of people with disabilities, governments, international agencies, charities and business leaders. It is a vital opportunity for governments and organisations to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The first Global Disability Summit in 2018 was a pivotal moment for disability rights globally and a demonstration of political leadership, bringing attention to disability on the global stage.
Despite this progress, many of its commitments still need to be met and financed to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities, especially from marginalised groups, are protected and enforced worldwide.
The Global Disability Summit will be held on February 15-17, 2022 in Norway and it is hosted by the governments of Norway and Ghana and the International Disability Alliance.
To join the Equal World campaign, sign their global petition and call for action on disability rights, please visit: www.sightsavers.org/actionsspeaklouder