As part of activities marking the one-day Media Roundtable on Post-GDS-2025 Government Commitments, Dr. (Mrs.) Bisi Bamishe, Executive Director of the Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN), delivered a compelling keynote presentation titled “The Role of Media in Promoting and Amplifying Government’s Efforts for Full and Timely Implementation of Commitments Made.”
Speaking to a diverse audience of journalists, disability rights advocates, and representatives of civil society organizations at the Golden Tulip Onopa Event Centre, Dr. Bamishe emphasized the crucial role that media institutions must play in bridging the gap between policy promises and real-life implementation for persons with disabilities, particularly those with albinism.
According to Dr. Bamishe, “The Global Disability Summit (GDS25) presented Nigeria with a vital opportunity to affirm its commitment to inclusive development. However, without sustained media engagement, these commitments risk remaining on paper. The media must become a watchdog, a storyteller, and an advocate all at once.”
She noted that while progress has been made in policy articulation, media involvement is necessary to monitor, amplify, and hold government actors accountable for inclusive action. She urged media organizations to go beyond event coverage and begin to mainstream disability inclusion in their reporting.
“Media practitioners should explore stories that humanize the impact of exclusion, spotlight implementation gaps, and celebrate government successes. This is how we build momentum and maintain pressure for sustained change,” she said.
She concluded by calling for strategic partnerships between the media, OPDs (Organizations of Persons with Disabilities), and key government agencies to ensure that disability rights, especially those concerning albinism, remain a national priority.
The roundtable was organized by the Albinism Association of Nigeria and funded by the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), as part of its advocacy efforts following the GDS-2025. The event brought together stakeholders to develop action plans for improved media engagement around the implementation of Nigeria’s GDS25 commitments.
