The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is another troubling reminder that millions of Nigerians with disabilities remain invisible in the country’s national development plans.
Development Diaries reports that according to the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), as many as 35.1 million Nigerians live with one or more disabilities.
Yet, despite the scale of this population, many face daily barriers to basic services, social inclusion, and meaningful participation in society.
The State of Disability Inclusion Report (SDIR) 2024 shows just how wide the gap remains: 28 percent of health facilities in Nigeria lack basic accessibility features that persons with disabilities need to access care.
The report presents a factual assessment of how Nigeria treats its estimated 35 million citizens with disabilities.
Even the law meant to protect people with disabilities (PWDs) which is the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, has seen only limited translation into real change.
The report also reveals that only 23 of 36 states have disability laws on their books, and only 15 of those have created agencies to enforce them.
For many PWDs, public buildings, transport, schools and workplaces remain inaccessible; educational opportunities, social services and adequate health care remain more of an aspiration than a right.
This means that a huge portion of Nigeria’s population, with diverse talents and dreams, continue to live on the margins.
Many are locked out of jobs, education, healthcare and social protection simply because infrastructure, policy and societal attitudes were not built for them.
That is a loss for the individuals affected and a loss for Nigeria’s potential.
On this World Disability Day, under the 2025 theme ‘Fostering disability‑inclusive societies for advancing social progress’, we call on the federal government, state governments, private sector, and communities to turn words into action.
The NCPWD, Ministries of Health, Education, Transport and Works should fast‑track implementation of disability‑inclusive policies, make all public buildings and health centres accessible, enforce the five percent employment quota for PWDs, invest in inclusive education and assistive services, and guarantee social protection support.
Also, citizens must hold leaders accountable because inclusion should not be optional but a basic standard for a just society.
Photo source: Ebunoluwa Akinbo/Al Jazeera
