[RECAP] Accessible Abuja

Hello everybody!

I have been looking forward to sharing this recap with you all. We had our Accessible Abuja meetup in April, and I was very impressed by the local guides in the capital city of Nigeria. We met up at Willy Joe’s Restaurant (which actually hasn’t been constructed - still in the works) and took a walk along Herbert Macaulay Way in the Central Business District of the city.

Many photos were taken and buildings were highlighted throughout the walk, but these were the three were we really engaged with other people. The picture on the left above is of the entrance of Diamond Bank’s ATM section (which was recently acquired by Access Bank). The entrance not only has a ramp but also a rail to grab on to. The picture on the right is of the car entrance and exit of Metro Plaza, which was our meeting point. The picture on the middle is of Afri Hotel. We were impressed by how innovative the entrance of the Hotel was. It was like a maze but there very easy to access regardless of the mobility level.

Muktar El-Yakub Plaza was probably my favourite place we visited for three reasons:

  1. I was taught how to properly pronounce the name in Arabic.
  2. The building had ramps build-in to the entrance as well as stairs.
  3. We were able to educate those outside the building about the local guide program. The security questioned us when we wanted to enter inside, so we used the opportunity to explain about what we do. Fortunately, they had a listening ear!

We found that more and more buildings are having ramps to aid those in wheelchairs, but we agreed that we need to do more in terms of expanding the efforts as we highlighted on the Accessibility Uncovered weekly posts. We even had a light debate on whether speed bumps on the road promote or hinder accessibility.

  1. I could not have been more than proud of those that came out @Johnybiz07, @Silooobaba, @Egomhan, and Zinta (and also shout out to those that wanted to come out but could not make it). My favourite part of this meetup was that we had fun, and it felt like we had been friends for a while. We were so excited, that we started planning for future meetups and initiatives. We shared tips and ideas on how to take better pictures, different approaches that work and doesn’t work when people are hesitant about taking pictures, and experiences. I loved the engagement and support of not only the Abuja local guides but also from the Nigerian community in general. You all made me so pleased, and I thank you all for that!

Cheers,

Chinonso Onukwugha

30 Likes

It was a great day meeting you for the first time that day. Hope to me you soon dear

Well done @ChinonsoOnukwugha

I suggest you create a List on map for these offices you visited should be in case the business is similar in nature. For example Hotels with accessibility friendly. Eateries with accessibility signs compliant etc.

Keep moving up.

My own favorite part of the meet up was the relaxation at Defence College buka, the chit-chat, it was everything for me. Thumbs up

@ChinonsoOnukwugha Nice and impressive outing.It was a great experience for me.This was my first meet up and the very first time I met a local guide in person @Silooobaba @Zinta @Silooobaba @Ego @TaofeekOseni @@

@ChinonsoOnukwugha Nice and impressive outing.It was a great experience for me.This was my first meet up and the very first time I met a local guide in person @Silooobaba @Zinta @Silooobaba @Egomhan .Thumbs up to all of you .The hang out after the meetup was very cool too.

Congratulations @ChinonsoOnukwugha for hosting this meetup in Abuja. From my previous meetups in Wuse and Maitama I think Abuja is properly planned with accessible walkways. Most of the buildings seem to have ramps too. Thanks for sharing and we appreciate @Silooobaba @Zinta @Johnybiz07 @Egomhan for being accessibility advocates.

Let’s make the world inclusive.

1 Like