FAME Foundation has announced plans for the 2025 edition of its HerSTEM Inclusive Tournament, designed to showcase the talents of Nigerian girls and women with disabilities as part of activities marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3.
The tournament, one of the organisation’s flagship disability-inclusion programmes, will hold at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. It will feature athletic competitions for participants with various disabilities, including sprint events for visually impaired athletes, athletes with cerebral palsy, and Deaf athletes. Other categories include discus throw for amputees and polio survivors, as well as shot put for amputees and Lexul athletes.
Executive Director of FAME Foundation, Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, said the event aims to promote an environment where Nigerians of all abilities can participate fully. She linked the objective to the 2025 global theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which focuses on creating societies that enable everyone to reach their potential.
Atoyebi said disability inclusion remains uneven across many sectors, with girls and women particularly affected by barriers to education, employment, and social participation. She noted that sports serve as a tool for empowerment, representation, and community building.
According to her, the tournament seeks to provide a national platform for athletes with disabilities to demonstrate their skills and resilience. She encouraged the public to attend and support the participants.
Atoyebi also called for increased investment in parasports infrastructure, training, and accessible facilities. She urged government agencies, private sector organisations, development partners, and the media to commit more resources to programmes that promote inclusion and improve opportunities for persons with disabilities.
She commended the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for partnering on the 2025 tournament, noting that its support aligns with efforts to promote inclusive development and national progress.
