By Lanre Oloyede
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon Mohammed Abba Isa, has reaffirmed Federal Government commitment to fulfilling Nigeria’s commitments made at the Global Disability Summit (GDS) 2025 in Berlin, Germany.
Hon. Abba Isa, made this declaration at a one-day capacity-strengthening workshop for government implementers, policy makers, and disability rights stakeholders organized by the MimiJane Foundation for Women and Children with Disabilities with support from Urgent Action Fund Africa.
Represented by his Director Media and Communications, Mr Lanre Oloyede, Hon. Isa emphasized that the current administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is resolute in implementing the country’s commitments to the global disability agenda. He highlighted the importance of inclusivity and equal opportunities for all citizens, particularly women and girls with disabilities.
The workshop, themed “Reshaping Public Institutions for Inclusive Governance,” aimed to equip participants with practical tools to mainstream gender-sensitive approaches into disability-inclusive governance, design, and service delivery.
In his goodwill message, the SSAP urged participants to seize the moment as a catalyst for lasting institutional change, ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of gender or disability status, has a voice, dignity, and equal access to opportunities.
The Senior presidential aide reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to initiatives that promote inclusivity and equal opportunities, emphasizing the need for collaboration and partnership with stakeholders to build a more inclusive society.
In her welcome address, Executive Director of the Mimijane Foundation, Ambassador Beatrice Mube, highlighted the critical importance of the gathering.
Mube said: “Today is more than a conversation—it is a call to action. We are here to hold the government accountable for its commitments made at the Global Disability Summit (GDS), and to ensure those pledges translate into real, tangible change. Every promise must be scrutinized through a gender lens, because women and girls with disabilities deserve visibility, voice, and priority in our national development agenda.”
Ambassador Mube further stressed the need for an intersectional approach to Nigeria’s GDS commitments, especially those that directly impact women and children with disabilities—groups whose everyday struggles are too often overlooked in policy design and budgetary planning.
The workshop is part of the MimiJane Foundation’s post-GDS efforts to promote more inclusive and gender-responsive public engagement with persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls. Participants reflected on lessons from the Global Disability Summit and charted actionable steps to enhance institutional responsiveness and improve the realities of women and girls with disabilities.
Lanre Oloyede is an Inclusion/Disability Rights Advocate & Media Consultant
