The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has validated a Regional Action Plan for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities for the 2022-2030 period. This decision was reached by ministers responsible for disability inclusion at the conclusion of a two-day hybrid meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 6, 2024.
The ministers recommended the plan to ECOWAS's Council of Ministers for adoption and pledged to support and implement it within their respective countries. They also proposed examining the creation of an ECOWAS Agency for Disability Inclusion, considering the economics of disability inclusion, encouraging the ECOWAS Commission to recruit people with disabilities, and increasing support for providing assistive equipment across member states.
Further recommendations included enhancing efforts to promote disability inclusion, adopting a standardized tool for collecting disability data regionally, and boosting networking and partnerships involving the private sector and other development partners to mobilize resources at both national and regional levels.
A significant commitment made by the ministers was towards ratifying the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa. To date, only one country on the continent has signed and ratified this protocol.
In August 2021, ECOWAS initiated a regional study on disability inclusion in West Africa. The findings from this study informed the development of the action plan aimed at improving living conditions for people with disabilities by ensuring their rights and full societal participation. The plan outlines three priority areas: integrating disability inclusion into all aspects of ECOWAS Commission's work, enhancing legal and policy frameworks, and strengthening regional partnerships to mobilize resources.
Speakers at the validation ceremony lauded the plan as a substantial advancement for disability rights in West Africa. They expressed optimism that it would prompt member states to adopt laws and policies fostering greater inclusion.
Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, reaffirmed ECOWAS's commitment to leading efforts and coordinating resources necessary for implementing the plan. Mohammed Abah Issa, Senior Special Adviser to Nigeria’s President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, presented participants with a plaque during an official launch event on June 27, 2024, marking Nigeria’s ‘Beyond Disability’ project aimed at promoting accessibility and inclusion.
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