“We can’t address the world’s injustices without ensuring rights and opportunities for people with disabilities.”

Ekaete Judith Umoh is country director at CBM Global Disability Inclusion, where she leads a diverse team of inclusion experts fighting to end the circle of poverty and disability in Nigeria.

In 2014, Ekaete became the first elected female national president of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities. There, she led her team and allies toward the passing of a comprehensive national law protecting the rights of people with disabilities, after 17 years of advocacy.

She is an alumna of Mobility International USA, Women’s Institute On Leadership and Disability, an international training and mentoring program for women with disabilities. Since then, she has become a global disability rights advocate, holding key positions as secretary, African Disability Forum; vice chairperson, West African Federation of the Disabled.

In 2000, she founded FACICP Disability Plus, an organization promoting inclusive development for women with disabilities, where she was executive director for 20 years.

Vision: A just society with equal opportunities for all where people with disabilities can access their rights and achieve their full potential. This principle must be the guide for addressing developmental gaps at all levels.