The president of the Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN), Dr. Bisi Bamishe, has urged the government at all levels to ensure the full and timely implementation of commitments reached at the recently concluded 2025 Global Disability Summit (GDS) to improve the lives of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
Dr Bamishe made the call in Kano during a one-day media roundtable organised by the association with support from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF).
According to her, the 2025 GDS, held in Germany, had global leaders in attendance, as well as representatives of persons with disabilities across the world, including Nigeria, who agreed on the key resolutions.
She said some of the commitments agreed on centre around inclusivity in employment, education, humanitarian action, climate change, health equity, accessible infrastructure, and financing for disability inclusion, among other things.
She urged the media, therefore, to promote conversation around those commitments to ensure timely implementation and educate the public about the rights of PWDs, including norms that lead to their exclusion.
āLet us build a media movement for inclusion that ensures persons with albinism and all persons with disabilities are seen, heard, and prioritised in Nigeriaās development agenda.
āTrack and report on the progress or lack of these commitments, acting as a watchdog that ensures promises turn into policies, and policies into practice,ā she noted.
While declaring the meeting open, the Kano State commissioner for information and internal affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Waiya, hinted that the state government plans to establish a commission for PWDs to consolidate the stateās commitment to disability inclusion.
He said the commission would be responsible for policy coordination, advocacy, and enforcement of disability rights under the stateās disability law.
Comrade Waiya also added that the commission would promote the rights and welfare of PWDs in the state when the bill is passed and signed into law.
