(He/him) 2026
Abubakar Mumbu Idris is a Deaf Nigerian disability rights advocate, digital inclusion leader, and social entrepreneur working to advance equal access to education, technology, and economic opportunities for Deaf people.
He is the Founder and Executive Director of Tech Inclusion for the Deaf Initiative (TIDI), a Deaf-led nonprofit organisation in Nigeria that empowers Deaf young people through digital skills, STEM education, artificial intelligence literacy, and civic participation. Through TIDI, he has supported more than 770 Deaf young people across 11 Nigerian states. He also leads initiatives focused on developing an open Nigerian Sign Language (NSL) data corpus and improving access to civic information through accessible digital tools.
Abubakar serves as an Assistant Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), contributing to disability inclusion, evidence-based advocacy, and programme accountability. He is also involved in Deaf community leadership and policy advocacy, promoting the meaningful participation of Deaf people in decisions that affect their lives.
His leadership journey includes the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), and the World Deaf Leadership scholarship programme at Gallaudet University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History and International Studies from the University of Ilorin.
Abubakar is passionate about building a world where Deaf people are not merely included in existing systems but actively shape the technologies, policies, and opportunities that affect their communities. His work centres on the belief that being Deaf is not a barrier to leadership, innovation, or meaningful participation in society.
