Ahead of the Global Disability Summit (#GDS) in Germany this April, the Albinism Association of Nigeria held a workshop to finalize its demands for the Nigerian government. The hybrid meeting, funded by the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), aimed to review Draft Commitment Policy Recommendations and identify advocacy strategies. It brought together marginalized groups, including persons with albinism, the intellectually disabled, little people, the deaf, and the blind, to harmonize their demands.

Dr. Bisi Bamishe, National President of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, emphasized the GDS as an opportunity to hold governments accountable. She stressed the need for specific commitments for marginalized groups, especially those neglected for too long. She highlighted the importance of opening up conversations with the government about their challenges and needs and ensuring that these are turned into actionable commitments.

Opeyemi Oladimeji, Organizational Development Consultant for the association, focused on the importance of government intervention in addressing critical issues like health, education, economic opportunities, and social stigmatization. He expressed concern over the non-implementation of legal frameworks, particularly the National Disability Act, which has seen minimal progress. Oladimeji called for collective action to hold both the federal and state governments accountable for the law’s full implementation across Nigeria.