The forum, organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is said to be a significant move towards promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.
The eight-year comprehensive Regional Action Plan for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities is for the period 2022-2030.
During the two-day convergence, the Council of Ministers responsible for Disability Inclusion within ECOWAS member states recommended the plan to the Regional Organisation's Council of Ministers for adoption and also pledged their support and commitment to implement it in their respective countries.
The plan, developed based on a regional study launched by the ECOWAS Commission in August 2021, aims to significantly improve the living conditions of people with disabilities by ensuring their rights and full participation in society.
Also, key recommendations from the ministers include the establishment of an ECOWAS Agency for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities and in consideration of the economic aspects of disability.
They also encouraged the ECOWAS Commission to recruit individuals with disabilities so as to increase support for providing essential equipment support across all member states.
The ministers also urged their countries to intensify efforts to promote disability inclusion, enhance and standardise data collection on disabilities, and foster partnerships with the private sector and collaborate with partners to mobilise resources at both national and regional levels.
They are also committed to the ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa, as currently there is low ratification rates within West Africa.
Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, reiterated the organisation's commitment to providing leadership and coordinating the resources necessary to support member states in implementing the plan.
She expressed satisfaction with the validation of the plan, seeing it as a major step forward for the rights of people with disabilities in the ECOWAS region.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Special Needs Mohammed Equal Opportunities Abah Issa, pledged for the launch of a project dubbed “Beyond Disability which will aim at promoting the inclusion and accessibility of people with disabilities in Nigeria.
