The Special Advisor to President Joe Biden on International Disability Rights, Sara Minkara, is due to arrive in Nigeria tomorrow to meet with stakeholders to discuss the effective participation of persons with disability in the upcoming polls in the country in 2023.
Minkara will visit Abuja, Nigeria, from October 5 to 7, 2022, where she will join Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour Lisa Peterson in meetings with civil societies, government and international organisations’ representatives in advance of the country’s 2023 elections.
Minkara will emphasise the importance of free and fair elections that are accessible to all and encourage persons with disabilities to actively participate in the political process.
Earlier, she visited Doha, Qatar, from October 1 to 4, to meet with government officials, civil society and like-minded partners, and participated in the World Information Summit for Health (WISH).
The summit, organised by the Qatar Foundation, addressed health innovation and advances in the field with a focus on disability and sport. Minkara represented the United States on the panel which discussed “Accessible By Design: Building a Legacy of Inclusion” and took part in a joint session to discuss, draft and adopt a summit communiqué on equitable access to sports and leisure activities.
A statement by the public affairs section of the United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria said Minkara will take stock of each country’s efforts to reshape the narrative around disability, emphasising the rights of persons with disabilities and the value they bring to all sectors of society when fully included after her tour.
