Zanzibar, NAD sign five-year deal to advance rights of people with disabilities
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President, Sheha Mjaja (right), and NAD Zanzibar Resident Director, Abdalla Amour, sign a five-year agreement to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities in Zanzibar. PHOTO|JESSE MIKOFU.
Unguja. The Zanzibar Government and the Norwegian Association of Disabled Zanzibar (NAD Zanzibar) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening the protection and advancement of the rights of people with disabilities.
The agreement, signed on August 25, 2026, between NAD Zanzibar and the Office of the First Vice President, establishes a formal framework for cooperation to strengthen the operational capacity of the Zanzibar Council for People with Disabilities and improve services for people with disabilities.
Under the agreement, NAD Zanzibar will support the development of inclusive community systems, institutional capacity building, research and better coordination of disability-related issues across Zanzibar.
NAD Zanzibar Resident Director Abdulla Amour and Acting Permanent Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President Sheha Mjaja signed the agreement, which provides for technical and professional support to the Zanzibar Council for People with Disabilities.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Mr Amour said the agreement formalised long-standing cooperation between the two institutions.
“It will enable us to strengthen inclusive development in communities, build the capacity of people with disabilities and their organisations, and enhance cooperation with the Government to promote rights and inclusion,” he said.
Mr Mjaja, who was the guest of honour, thanked NAD Zanzibar for its support and said the agreement was in line with Zanzibar’s Development Vision 2050, which prioritises improved services and protection of the rights of people with disabilities.
He said the Government would ensure the agreement was implemented through a dedicated action plan.
“We must prepare an implementation plan that clearly sets out the targets to be achieved. The plan will enable us to monitor implementation and assess the progress made during the five-year period,” he said.
Zanzibar Council for People with Disabilities Executive Secretary Usi Khamis Debe said the agreement would also focus on improving the economic capacity of people with disabilities and enabling them to access loans.
“We will reach all districts to equip people with disabilities with the skills and capacity they need to qualify for loans and run their own businesses,” Mr Debe said.
The agreement is expected to strengthen collaboration between the Zanzibar Government and its partners in ensuring people with disabilities have equal opportunities to participate fully in social and economic activities and contribute to the country’s development.
