Oluwatoyin Akinro-Rojojobi

Nigerian disability rights advocate transforming accessibility in West Africa

Oluwatoyin Akinro-Rojojobi is a trailblazing disability rights activist from Nigeria who has revolutionized accessibility standards across West Africa. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, she founded Walk Freely Initiative in 2014 to promote inclusive infrastructure. Her organization has retrofit over 200 public buildings in Lagos with ramps and sensory-friendly features, while advocating for Nigeria's first disability inclusion law enacted in 2020.

In 2018, she pioneered the Access For All Africa certification program, creating standardized accessibility benchmarks adopted by 15 countries. Her work with UNICEF on Africa's Inclusive Education Framework has impacted 3 million schoolchildren with disabilities. Oluwatoyin's development of the AccessMap app in 2021 uses crowdsourced data to map accessible public spaces across 5 African nations.

Her leadership in the #NoMoreBarriers campaign led to the 2022 African Union accessibility directive, requiring all new infrastructure projects to include disability features. Akinro-Rojojobi's advocacy extends to tech innovation, co-founding AbleTech Innovations which develops low-cost mobility aids like the e-Wheelchair priced at $200 - 90% cheaper than imported models. She was named a TIME 100 Next honoree in 2022.