Hammed, 14, is a Special Olympics athlete who lives in Lagos, Nigeria. Since he was 11 years old, he has had dreams of playing football professionally, and so when he joined Special Olympics Nigeria in 2018, football was his main sporting interest. He is currently an Athlete Leader and is excited to further his leadership skills and advocate for the rights of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Hammed has noticed that people with intellectual disabilities still experience exclusion today in Nigeria, despite the disability law which was passed in January 2019. This law was set to support social and financial needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities.


The Stand Up for Inclusion project aims to promote awareness for inclusion through educational sessions. The plan is to engage athlete leaders and implement activities that will peak their interests.

The project plan also includes hosting monthly digital sessions spreading awareness about the importance of inclusion and providing an opportunity for community members to ask questions in a forum setting. These sessions will focus on how varying sectors (including digital, education, and health) need to be adapted to accommodate individuals with disabilities.

The last part of the project plan includes coordinating a Unified Football Tournament to further facilitate engagement of athletes.

When the project is complete, the goal is to increase awareness about the inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities in Nigeria as well as also to educate people on the importance of digital accessibility.