Theophilus Odaudu

Theophilus Odaudu is the Program Officer for Nigeria for the Disability Rights Fund and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund. In this role, he is responsible for grantmaking, grants oversight, and technical support to disabled persons organizations in Nigeria.

Over the last ten years, Theophilus served the disability community in Nigeria in different capacities. He helped in establishing and stabilizing the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) in Abuja (the Federal Capital Territory), serving as its Treasurer and Secretary on different occasions, and has served as the North-Central Youth Coordinator for NAB, advocating for the participation of children and youth in the affairs of the association, and inclusion of young persons with disabilities in the broader society. Theophilus has over five years’ experience working with the government of Kogi State as Legal Officer and volunteers for NGOs serving vulnerable groups, including Cedar Seed Foundation (CSF). As Legal Adviser for CSF, Theophilus edited the disability rights bill before the National Assembly, bringing its content in compliance with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).

He is a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow where he studied public management at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, at Syracuse University in New York. Theophilus holds a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria, South Africa; and an LLM from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria with an academic focus in international law.