EDISOP is Expanding Disability-Inclusive Social Protection Project – An initiative of Festus Fajemilo Foundation (FFF)
Funded by Disability Rights Fund (DRF).
PROJECT PERIOD – September 2022 – September 2023
LOCATION: Lagos
Background:
Inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in establishment and implementation of social protection policy frameworks by governments at national and sub-national levels in Nigeria especially in the last one decade have been very poor. Not only have social protection programs failed to meet the actual needs of PWDs, but these programs have also failed to reach more vulnerable PWDs including children with disabilities, persons with multiple disabilities, persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, residing in rural communities and hard-to-reach areas, as well as girls and women with disabilities. More so, there are no valid statistics indicating the population of PWDs with full access to social protection programs and related interventions. The advent of COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inclusion of more vulnerable PWDs in social protection programs. For instance, 15,000 (0.75%) of about two million PWDs in Lagos State were reached with social protection COVID-19 palliative and other interventions between April 2020 and September 2021.
Worst still, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) have not demonstrated enough institutional and leadership capacities to advocate for inclusion of more vulnerable PWDs in delivery of social protection programs especially within the context of a pandemic. In addition, there is no adequate knowledge by PWDs on framework which provides guidance for implementation of comprehensive and sustainable disability-inclusive social protection programs and interventions in Lagos state.
Accordingly, EDISOP project seeks to support OPDs towards developing sustainable leadership, institutional and advocacy capacities sensitive to social protection needs of marginalized PWDs, as well as the capacity to engage relevant agencies of government
PROJECT GOAL:
To improve the social and economic lives of vulnerable persons with disabilities (PWDs) through their access to, and inclusion in social protection and Covid-19 response program.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE:
To advocate for disability-inclusive and gender-responsive social protection and COVID-19 recovery programs in Lagos State to guard against the neglect of persons with disabilities during disasters and emergencies in Nigeria.
To achieve this, FFF carried out:
- A situation analysis of social protection and COVID-19 recovery programs in Lagos State to ascertain the level of inclusivity.
- The findings of this exercise were distilled into recommendations and guide advocacy for disability inclusion in the State.
- Held a one-day training for OPDs in Lagos State to strengthen their capacity for advocacy for disability-inclusive social protection, and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities and other marginalized groups in their operations and programs using relevant CRPD and SDG provisions.
- Organized a one-day training for key MDA staff on strategies for implementing disability-inclusive social protection and covid-19 response programs in line with UNCRPD and SDG provisions.
- Carried out advocacy visits to key stakeholders to push for disability-inclusive social protection programs and interventions during disasters like COVID-19
- Facilitated meetings between OPDs and electoral candidates on disability-inclusive agendas, especially on social protection and humanitarian interventions.
- Created awareness on the project through a virtual launch at the beginning and sensitized the public on disability inclusion through the media.
Outcomes/Lessons from the project:
- Development of evidence-based tools for implementation of disability-inclusive social protection.
- 10 Organizations of Persons with Disabilities gained knowledge & use of tools in advocating for disability-inclusive social protection.
- 9 government MDAs gained knowledge on tools to implement disability-inclusive social protection.
- About 6 million Lagos resident sensitized via media & community awareness to become responsive in promoting disability inclusion in SP.
- The EDISOP project opened the eyes of PwDs to their rights, particularly on social protection. Many of them now have a better understanding of social protection programmes and interventions as well as the developed guideline to further advocacy and achieve their desired needs. They have also become aware of several social protection programmes being carried out by Lagos State government as well as the procedure to accessing them starting with proper registration and documentation.
- OPDs learned that every PwD is an advocate for the rights of PwDs and that disability inclusion starts with involving PwDs in the planning and design stage of policies and programmes that address their needs.
- The EDISOP project has advanced effective collaboration between OPDs and Lagos State government which has produced a guideline for disability inclusive social protection in Lagos.
EDISOP ACTIVITY PHOTOS FROM MARCH – SEPTEMBER 2023
1-Day training of trainers for OPD representatives in Lagos State to strengthen their capacity on advocacy for disability inclusive social protection and inclusion of vulnerable PWDs in their operations and programs using relevant CRPD and SDG provisions.
One Day training for key MDA staff on strategies for implementing disability-inclusive social protection and covid-19 response programs in line with UNCRPD and SDG provisions.
