Persons with disabilities demand enforcement of rights in Nigeria

Persons with disabilities in Nigeria are demanding the enforcement of their rights by the Federal Government.

The National President of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Abdullahi Usman Aliyu, made the call in his welcome remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Conference of Stakeholders on Disability Inclusion in Nigeria, in Abuja on Thursday.

The conference’s theme is “From commitment to action: Advancing disability-inclusive development in Nigeria.

Nigeria has ratified key disability laws, most notably the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, signed into law in January 2019. This Act is the cornerstone of disability rights protection in Nigeria.

However, the National President of JONAPWD said the government has not followed its commitment with action, calling for the implementation of the laws protecting persons with disabilities in the country.

“We want the government to move from commitment to action, and that is why we are having this meeting. We want to see an inclusive Nigeria where everyone has equal rights,” he said.

Dr Tayo Aduloju, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who presented the keynote address with the topic “The Renewed Hope Agenda: Where are we with persons with disabilities?”, said the country has a long way to go in the implementation of the provisions of the Act protecting persons with disabilities.

He stated that despite Nigeria’s ratification of international agreements, social exclusion barriers persist in the country.

While noting that people with disabilities in Nigeria are about 36 million, Dr Aduloju called on stakeholders in the country to do more to ensure more inclusion for the community.

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