By Lanre Oloyede
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Abba Isa, has called for the provision of grants and tax incentives to publishers who adopt accessible formats to enhance compliance with the Marrakesh Treaty.
Hon. Abba Isa made the recommendation at a two-day Stakeholder Engagement Meeting on the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation in Nigeria, organized by the Nigerian Association of the Blind (NAB).
Represented by his Director of Media and Communications, Lanre Oloyede, Hon. Abba Isa emphasized the need to promote access to knowledge and accessible publications for persons with visual impairments and other print disabilities.
He proposed several measures to bolster compliance with the Marrakesh Treaty, including capacity-building initiatives, public-private partnerships, and targeted government support.
Key Recommendations
The SSAP outlined three major strategies to strengthen accessible publishing in Nigeria:
1. Grants and Tax Incentives: Providing financial support or tax relief to publishers adopting accessible formats to encourage inclusivity.
2. Capacity Building: Organizing training programs for publishers, educators, and librarians on accessible content creation.
3. Public-Private Partnerships: Leveraging collaborations between government and private sectors to develop assistive technologies that facilitate access to published works.
Hon. Abba Isa reiterated the commitment of his office to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the full implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty. “Together, we can unlock the potential of accessible knowledge to empower visually impaired persons and foster a more inclusive Nigeria,” he said.
The SSAP commended the Nigerian Association of the Blind (NAB) for its relentless advocacy for the rights and well-being of visually impaired Nigerians. He praised the leadership of Mr. Stanley Onyebuchi, noting their pivotal role in advancing inclusivity and accessibility.
Highlighting the administration’s efforts, the SSAP referenced the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes inclusivity and disability rights.
He disclosed that his office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, had inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee in November to oversee the implementation of the National Disability Act.
The committee, chaired by the Special Needs Department, has a mandate to:
Conduct Accessibility Audits of government facilities, including digital infrastructure, to ensure compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Foster Stakeholder Engagement, promoting collaboration among MDAs, civil society organizations, and industry actors like the Nigerian Publishers Association.
Hon. Abba Isa reiterated the transformative potential of the Marrakesh Treaty as a framework for ensuring access to published works for persons with visual impairments.
He called on stakeholders to seize this opportunity to reflect on progress, identify challenges, and develop actionable strategies to achieve full implementation of the treaty.
The Stakeholder Engagement Meeting highlighted the collective responsibility of government, civil society, and industry players in ensuring accessible publishing becomes a reality in Nigeria.
