Ooni of Ife, Sanwo-Olu to attend DIAL Awards

Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, and Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of the Lagos state governor, will be attending the maiden edition of the Disability Inclusion Dialogue Series and Disability Inclusion and Leadership (DIAL) Awards.

The DIAL Awards is being put together by Project Enable Africa, a non-governmental organization providing transformational IT skills to persons with disabilities in Nigeria, in Collaboration with Hacey Health Initiative.

Olusola Owonikoko, project director of the initiative, said the idea behind the award is to commemorate the 2019 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, come 10th December, 2019.

Owonikoko confirmed that high profile delegates have indicated interest to be part of the ceremony including Claire Pierangelo, the United States consul general; the first lady of Lagos; the ooni of Ife; Sunday Isiyaku, country director of Sight savers; Babs Onabanjo, professor and CEO AD King Foundation from Atlanta, US.

Other dignitaries expected at the awards include Sola Omotosho of UK Department for International Development; Adebukola Abdebayo, Chairperson, JONAPWD Lagos chapter; delegates from the World Bank. 

Speaking recently in a meeting with Joe Okei-Odumakin, the chairman board of advisors of Project Enable Africa, at her office in Lagos, Owonikoko said, “Project Enable Africa keeps looking out for innovative avenues to promote digital inclusion and advocacy for persons with disabilities in Nigeria”. 

“As we celebrate our fifth year, we are glad to launch the maiden edition of the Disability Inclusion And Leadership (DIAL) Awards, alongside the annual Social Inclusion Dialogue Series. We are positive that these engagements will help to further prepare Nigerians with the fundamental information required for the inclusion of PWD.

“We strongly believe that it is not enough to get PWDs ready for the work space, it is also important to get members of the public to receive them and begin to see them as an integral part of the society.”

According to him, the Disability Inclusion Dialogue Series will bring together thought-leaders and stakeholders in the disability inclusion space across the nation.

It will also serve as a national platform for multi-sectoral discourse and engagements targeted at promoting knowledge sharing, fostering partnership, finding sustainable solutions to key disability issues, while calling national attention to the implementation of the Nigerian Disability Act.

On the other hand, The DIAL Awards set to hold in Lagos, is designed to strategically recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals and corporate organisations across sectors, who are championing the progress of disability inclusion.

The goal is to inspire individuals and organisations to accelerate disability inclusion in their processes, policies, programs, and platforms.

Okei-Odumakin charged all stakeholders to attend the events and look forward to the recommendations from the dialogue series which will be crucial to individuals, private and public sector in preparing for the inclusion that ensures that people with disabilities are not left behind.