Identity: Adenike Oyetunde

“I've found that there’s a dearth of concern for the emotional, social and psychological needs of persons with disabilities. The world makes conclusions and judgements based on what they see, such that when we see people living with special needs or living with disabilities, we already have a preconception of who we think they are. Disability also opens you up to one reality—the reality of the inequality that exists among people living with disabilities across genders. For instance, people believe that physical disability in women also impedes fertility. It's yet another eye opener into the different realities that exist in our community.”

Adenike Oyetunde is a lawyer and radio personality based in Lagos. She has been nominated for several media awards. In 2017, she was a speaker at the TedX Gbagada, Lagos speaking on philanthropy and the role of empathy in the Human Society. Her passion driving conversations around the plight of disability in Nigeria led her to establishing the Amputees United Initiative, a social group specifically for amputees. She is a Goalkeeper (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) who uses her advocacy to push for the inclusion of persons living with disability in Nigeria. She recently added author to her name with the release of her self-titled memoir - #Adénìké.