ECOWAS DEPLOYS REGIONAL ADVOCACY AND SENSITIZATION MISSION TO ADVANCE ACCESS TO ASSISTIVE DEVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN THE GAMBIA AND SENEGAL

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission will undertake a regional Advocacy and Sensitization Mission in The Gambia from 20 to 21 April 2026 and in Senegal from 23 to 24 April 2026, as part of the implementation of the ECOWAS Programme for the Provision of Assistive Devices to Children with Disabilities in West Africa.

The mission forms part of ECOWAS’ continued commitment to promoting inclusion, dignity and equal opportunity for children with disabilities across the region. It is also aligned with the Commission’s approved 2026 first-quarter programme priorities and reflects the institution’s determination to translate regional commitments into concrete, people-centred action.

During the mission, the ECOWAS Commission will engage with key national stakeholders, including the Ministries responsible for disability inclusion, the ECOWAS Resident Representatives, and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), in order to strengthen national ownership of the programme, build stakeholder awareness, and agree on practical modalities for implementation.

The initiative is rooted in the ECOWAS regional agenda on disability inclusion. Following the launch of the first phase of the Programme in 2024 in Togo and Nigeria, and based on the recommendation of Ministers in charge of Disability Inclusion at their first meeting held in Abuja in June 2024, the Commission approved a further phase of implementation in The Gambia, Senegal and Guinea in 2026.

Through these back-to-back country missions, ECOWAS seeks not only to sensitize stakeholders on the programme, but also to support evidence-based implementation by collecting data on the assistive devices required by children with disabilities at national level. This process is expected to contribute to more responsive interventions while reinforcing collaboration between the ECOWAS Commission and the relevant national institutions.

Assistive devices such as wheelchairs, prostheses, hearing aids, crutches and glasses are essential tools that improve mobility, communication, participation, independence and well-being. For children with disabilities, access to such devices can have a transformative effect on education, self-care, social inclusion and overall development. Yet access remains limited for many across West Africa, making this regional intervention both timely and necessary.

In both countries, the mission will include high-level advocacy visits on the first day, followed by an inception meeting on the second day with the Government Ministry in charge of Disability Inclusion and OPDs to review the Terms of Reference of the project and agree on modalities for implementation. This structure underscores ECOWAS’ approach of combining political engagement, stakeholder consultation and technical coordination in support of inclusive social development.

By deploying this coordinated mission across The Gambia and Senegal, ECOWAS is reaffirming its leadership in advancing disability inclusion in West Africa and laying the groundwork for targeted action that will improve the lives of children with disabilities and strengthen national systems of support.