Nearly 15% of the world’s population, or more than a billion people, live with a disability, and 80% of these individuals reside in developing countries. In West Africa, there are estimated to be more than 60 million disabled people.
Yatma Fall, President of the West African Federation of People with Disabilities, provided these figures from a world report on disability produced jointly by the World Health Organization and the World Bank. He spoke at the opening of the first meeting of Ministers of the Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responsible for people with disabilities, held in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 5, 2024.
According to Mr. Fall, societal views on disability and people with disabilities are generally lackluster, exacerbating discrimination and marginalization. He outlined key difficulties faced by people with disabilities, particularly those related to access to health and rehabilitation services, education and training, employment and integration, as well as general living environment development and accessibility.
“Despite the ratification of international legal instruments by our States and the adoption of national legislation,” he said, “our governments have not yet made disability a development priority, which often results in non-inclusive public policies.” He expressed gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for its commitment to the well-being of people with disabilities and reiterated his willingness to support it in adopting and implementing a regional action plan.
Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, noted that ECOWAS was the first African Regional Economic Community to develop a regional action plan on including people with disabilities. She called for increased regional investment in this inclusion effort due to its dual role as both a fundamental human right and an economic necessity capable of raising living standards in West Africa.
She highlighted ongoing progress made by ECOWAS Member States such as gathering statistical data on disability; ratifying international instruments; protecting women’s and children’s rights; and establishing inclusive policies.
Similarly, Mohammed Abah Issa, Senior Special Adviser to Nigeria's President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities; along with Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, Permanent Secretary of Nigeria's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; emphasized their country’s efforts through ratification of international legal instruments and adoption of national legislation aimed at reducing inequalities for people with disabilities.
The main objective of this hybrid meeting is for Ministers from ECOWAS Member States responsible for people with disabilities to validate an action plan focused on their inclusion in West Africa. This plan will then be recommended to the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for adoption. According to Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, this action plan will guide states in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating national programs for including people with disabilities.
The Action Plan covers 2022-2030 focusing on three main priority areas: improving inclusion across all aspects within ECOWAS Commission work; enhancing legal/policy environments; strengthening regional partnerships/resources mobilization for disability inclusion.
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