1 day Ago By Janet Ogundepo
Janet Ogundepo As Nigeria gears up for the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin, Germany, the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities has emphasised the need to prioritise meaningful engagements and ensure commitments reflect the experiences and challenges of persons with disabilities in the country. In a statement sent to PUNCH Healthwise and signed by the Program Manager of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Joseph Akuse, the National President of the JONAPWD, Aliyu Abdullahi, asserted that the GDS 2025 represented a crucial milestone for Nigeria’s disability community, unlike previous summits where government-led commitments often lacked meaningful input from organisations of persons with disabilities. Abdullahi further noted that this year’s process has been shaped by direct engagement and advocacy from disability-focused groups.
The GDS is a global initiative aimed at advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, particularly in the Global South. Established in 2017, it serves as a confluence for global, regional, and national stakeholders united by the mission of fostering disability-inclusive development and humanitarian action. GDS 2025, which is the third of its kind, is co-hosted by Germany, Jordan, and IDA and is set for April 2-3, 2025, in Berlin, with both in-person and virtual participation.
The theme is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.” Abdullahi emphasised the need for sustained momentum through inclusive consultations and active monitoring of implementation to drive real change. He said, “GDS 2025 represents a crucial milestone for Nigeria’s disability community.
Unlike past summits, where OPDs had limited input in drafting national commitments, this summit prioritizes meaningful engagement with OPDs, ensuring that commitments reflect the lived experiences and challenges of persons with disabilities in Nigeria.” Also speaking, the Program Officer for West Africa at the Disability Rights Fund, Theophilus Odaudu, expressed optimism that this year’s summit will yield more realistic and impactful commitments. He noted that the involvement of all disability clusters in drafting the commitment ensured that they reflected their core challenges, adding that this would improve their accessibility to economic inclusion.
Odaudu urged stakeholders to prioritise proper and timely implementation of the commitments to safeguard the well-being of persons with disabilities nationwide. He also recognised the contributions of underrepresented groups, including the Albinism Association of Nigeria and other marginalised communities, in shaping these commitments. The statement further reads, “The Albinism Association of Nigeria, under the leadership of Dr Mrs Bisi Bamishe, has played a pivotal role in representing persons with albinism and other marginalised groups in drafting Nigeria’s commitments for GDS 2025.
With funding from the Disability Rights Fund, the “Voices from the Field” project has been instrumental in shaping inclusive and impactful commitments. “This initiative, in collaboration with JONAPWD, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and other marginalised groups, has ensured a comprehensive approach to disability advocacy.” It added that the AAN outlined goals and strategies for inclusive commitment development at the inception meeting by gathering inputs from persons with albinism and other marginalised groups.
The AAN further refined the commitments with stakeholders to ensure alignment with disability rights priorities with the validated commitment presented to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in collaboration with JONAPWD and NCPWD, providing a strong national position at GDS 2025. The statement also reads, “The document was reviewed by OPD cluster heads before submission, ensuring inclusivity and alignment with the disability community’s priorities.” The disability rights advocates called for awareness campaigns, policy lobbying to ensure the commitments were embedded in national policies, stronger collaborations between OPDs, government agencies, and international partners and global engagement to position Nigeria as a leader in disability inclusion on the international stage.
“The preparations for GDS 2025 mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s disability advocacy landscape, with OPDs taking centre stage in shaping national commitments. Through strategic collaboration, evidence-based advocacy, and inclusive consultations, Nigeria is set to present a strong, representative, and impactful agenda at GDS 2025. “The focus now shifts to sustained engagement, implementation, and monitoring to ensure that commitments translate into meaningful action for persons with disabilities nationwide,” the statement noted.
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