In commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Lagos State Government has strengthened its commitment to disability inclusion with support for persons with disabilities.
The event, held at Whitestone Event Centre, Ikeja, with the theme, “Achieving the SDGs With and For Persons with Disabilities: A Lagos of Inclusion, Access, and Innovation,” aimed to promote dignity, accessibility, and equal opportunity, while advancing the rights and social integration of persons with disabilities in Lagos State.
General Manager of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, said the observance underscores the shared responsibility of all stakeholders in promoting full inclusion.
She explained that the theme for this year aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ Agenda, and emphasises the state’s drive toward accessibility, equity, and innovation.
According to her, the day’s engagement centred on four critical pillars: Transportation, Education, Health, and Technology, aimed at identifying barriers and developing sustainable inclusion strategies.
“The expected outcomes of the event include actionable policy recommendations for LASODA’s 2026 advocacy agenda, improved stakeholder visibility, distribution of assistive devices to over 200 beneficiaries, expanded media narratives on ability and empowerment, and stronger partnerships with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), government MDAs, and private-sector collaborators,” she said.
The Lagos State Head of Service, Bode Agoro, said the state’s alignment with the United Nations 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind,” noting that Lagos continues to value the innovation, talent, and leadership of persons with disabilities.
He stated that the government recognises the discrimination and socioeconomic challenges faced by persons with disabilities and remains committed to dismantling systemic barriers through policy and institutional support.
Agoro affirmed that building a fully inclusive society is a process requiring persistence and cooperation, adding that “every programme initiated, every barrier broken, and every voice heard brings us one step closer to our collective vision.”
“LASODA will continue to advance inclusion through collaborative initiatives, entrepreneurship support, awareness campaigns, and targeted advocacy to ensure that persons with disabilities are fully integrated into all aspects of civic and economic life in Lagos State,” he said.
Prof. Emeka Desmond-Ozorji of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) has called for the establishment of a Centre for Disability Studies in universities.
He delivered the 2nd Distinguished Lecture Series organized by the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Oto-Ijanikin,Lagos.
It was entitled: “Inclusive Teacher’s Preparation for People with Special Needs.”
According to him, primary goals of the centre will be to promote inclusive education,galvanize student support, mobilize social actions, develop strategies to be agents of change towards students with disability.
Desmond-Ozorji noted that teachers need a deep understanding of the psychological and emotional needs of students with disabilities, adding that awareness of basic concepts such as impairment, disability, and handicap was important for effective teaching.
He explained that inclusive teacher preparation must be strongly supported by the activities of the centre, a disability policy, a disability friendly environment and elimination of discrimination and rights denial.
LASUED Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bilikis Lafiaji-Okuneye, described the lecture series as a platform for solution-oriented discourse aimed at addressing critical societal challenges.
“This theme aligns closely with our university’s mandate and underscores our commitment to inclusive education, a global imperative as stated in Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Nigerian National Policy on Education,” she said.
She affirmed that equitable access to quality education must be prioritized, regardless of students’ physical or mental abilities.
Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, reiterated the state’s commitment to inclusive development. He said efforts are being made to ensure public facilities, including schools, are more accommodating to persons with disabilities.
He added that public awareness campaigns against stereotypes and stigmatization of people with disabilities are gaining momentum across the state.
The Coordinator of the foundation, Comrade Kehinde Oshilaja, called on the government to assist in the provision of more affordable schools for people living with disabilities.
He made this known in a statement, noting that exorbitant fees collected by the few available schools made it difficult for members to attend the schools.
Oshilaja said the government should assist in building more schools that could accommodate more members living with disability.
He decried the manner people looked at those living with disability, saying whenever well-to-do persons in the society invite them to functions, they do not honour people living with disability.
A non-governmental Organisation, Rebuilding Hope on Wheels Initiative (RHOWI), has called for an initiation of a trust fund for persons with disability, especially spinal cord survivors to help reduce the cost of equipment for disabled people in the country.
Founder of RHOWI, Hajia Amina Audu, who made this known during the 1st Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Conference in Nigeria, organized by SCI survivors in Abuja with the theme: “The Place of Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries in Disability-Inclusive Development in Nigeria.
She said the event marks a crucial step toward fostering an inclusive society where everyone, regardless of physical condition, can thrive and contribute meaningfully to our nation’s development.
While noting that the spinal cord injuries present significant challenges, Audu noted that they also offer opportunities for innovation, advocacy, and the implementation of policies that promote accessibility, inclusivity, and empowerment.
She said: ‘’In spinal cord injuries there are two types of treatment that they do which is the acute treatment which has to do with the surgeons carrying out an operation and the other treatment is rehabilitation.
‘’And that rehabilitation is supposed to give the person an orientation and be ready for the new life they are going to face as a person with a disability. These are the things that are missing and need to be included in the framework regardless of their status whether poor or rich in the society.
‘’Normally in disability they ought to be a trust fund which includes everybody, it’s not only the physical aspects of having spinal cord injuries that is affected but we use alot of equipment which can be very expensive’’.
Also, Executive Director, Founder, Brain and Spinal Cord Foundation Africa, Engr Chika Okoli, said he has been in the forefront of advocating for a brain and spinal cord injury trust fund.
If these funds, he said, are made available, victims can have access to it for immediate treatment including rehabilitation.
Six thousand participants from 60 locations worldwide will, on Saturday, embark on 2024 ‘Out On A Limb (OOAL) Advocacy Walk’, aimed at raising national and global awareness about disability inclusion.
The walk will bring together a global community dedicated to empowering and including Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in society.
This year’s theme: “Celebrating Every Step,” is on the behest of The Irede Foundation (TIF), an NGO focused on encouraging children living with limb loss (either acquired or congenital) to live a life of fulfillment.
A statement by Account Manager for Indwelt Studios, Irene Dybo, said OOAL will harness the power of people to create engagement, mobilise communities, and inspire action; it was aimed at promoting positive attitudes and behaviours towards PWDs.
The statement said by joining hands and raising their voices, the 6,000 participants will walk together, highlighting challenges faced by PWDs and emphasising the responsibility to foster a society that embraces diversity.
Furthermore, the foundation said OOAL advocates access to quality education, ensuring learners with disabilities have equal opportunities for life-long learning.
In addition to education, the Advocacy Walk also focuses on bridging employability gap for individuals with disabilities.
It added that by fostering a positive attitude and behaviour towards PWDs, the event creates a more inclusive workforce and promote economic empowerment.
The walk, the statement noted, is not only a platform for raising awareness but also an opportunity to make a difference in lives of others.
“This year’ event targets children and youths with disabilities, as well as persons with disabilities,” it said, adding with 60 locations participating worldwide, the event celebrates every step towards a more inclusive world.
Through the provision of prosthetic limbs to child amputees from ages 0-18, disability advocacy, support groups for caregivers, and skill development training for PLDs, TIF, established in Nigeria in 2012, has been in the forefront of the global push for a more inclusive society.
March is a unique month which celebrates women and their inspirational stories. The co-founder of AccessTech Innovation and Research Center, Emmanuella Akinola is worth celebrating. Her story is that of love, resilience and commitment towards breaking the bias against people with disability. This two-time US Government exchange alumnus is driven by the need to devise innovative solutions for the inclusion of persons. In this interview with EVELYN OSAGIE, Mrs. Akinola speaks on her experience being married to a visually impaired tech guru.
Being a woman for me means being a nurturer. We don’t only nurture children, we nurture dreams. It means looking elegant even in the midst of storms. Marrying a visually impaired person comes with its challenges just like every other relationship. It also comes with mixed reception. Some people see me and say ‘eya’ as an expression of pity. Some see you and are “wowed”, surprised that a beautiful sighted lady is married to a visually impaired man. Others are like ‘so you want to marry someone you want to exploit ehh!” But a few people just take it like that. I’ve grown to understand people have a right to their opinion due to what they are exposed to. And I am determined to break the bias against people living with disability, particularly with people that are visually impaired.
On how I’ve been able to cope, I must say communicating with my husband has helped me cope more than anything else.
When we got married his major source of income was from teaching blind people how to use the windows system applications and repairing computer hardware. In the process of assisting with operations of the business, I got interested in the assistive technology industry. In short, marrying my darling Opeolu Akinola inspired my career path. And the rest is history.
Our love story
I cannot express in words how much I love Opeolu. We met at a stakeholders meeting on inclusive education in Lagos State in 2006 while I was practicing as a journalist with a magazine on disability. One thing that attracted me to him was the tone of his voice and his romantic ways of using words. He said “I love you” first. Though it was not love at first sight, we got fond of each other quickly. He was then with a technical professional on the Lagos State Inclusive Education project. We found common interests and became friends and later got married in 2008.
And although I had met him twice again, it was always at a distance. And as fate would have it I found myself having to return a camera I had collected from his boss to his house at Ikorodu. That was the first time we had physical contact. I remember the pleasant way he welcomed me when I reached his house. He hugged me and later told me he felt really good about it. I must confess that the hug was pleasant for me too but it was nothing serious at the time.
From then on, we started talking a lot on the phone, mostly at night during the Extra-Cool hours when people could call free between twelve midnight and 4 a.m. back then.
It was on one of those calls that he changed our usual conversation about everyday topics, like work, to the romantic ones; and later popped his intention of wanting me to be his wife. That was unexpected from someone I just considered a friend that I liked so much and respected for his unusual intelligence. But I did not refuse, I just told him to let me think about it. Yes, I thought hard about it. Immediately after that conversation, I thought about the implications of marrying a blind person. What will other people think? I thought of my mother and what the announcement of a potential blind son-in-law would be like for her. And I felt like saying no.
However, I could not because we had started missing each other a lot. Although, I can’t remember now, maybe a week or so later, when I paid him another visit at home, I gave my consent and here we are. I still tease him about his proposal that had no flowers in it or him going down on his knees with a ring in his hands!
From journalism to advocacy and now technology, my inspiration
Since I have a firsthand insight into how technology can empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives and sustain themselves; my personal experience propels me to devise innovative solutions for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, resulting in impactful problem-solving.
While I was practicing as a journalist after it got to a point I felt there was something more than just reporting stories. I saw a seat for myself in the disability community if one did not occupy it, it could remain empty. I also realised that as a spouse of a person with disabilities if I decide to disassociate myself from disability it will still rub off on me or my children. No matter my professional accomplishment I am still a visually impaired man’s wife. If people think blind people are incapable of making good decisions then I would be seen as a product of a bad choice. So I made it a point of duty to make my contribution in changing the narrative through advocacy. That was why I joined an advocacy group in 2011. In the process of our advocacy activities, I realised that there is a famine of technical capacity in providing accessibility solutions in Nigeria. My husband and a few others were the only people providing technical support to blind persons, while others provided for other clusters of disabilities. With experience I got under my husband’s tutelage, academic degrees and certifications, we launched Accesstech Innovation and Research Center to provide assistive technology tools and digital skills training for blind persons.
Growing up for you that impacted the woman you became
I was brought up by my grandparents and my single mother who worked as a clerical in the Federal Civil Service. As an introvert I lived in a small social circle. In that process I learned to take responsibility for my decisions. I learnt to manage businesses when I started hawking morning breakfast in Mofoloku, Oshodi and managed her petty grocery trading business between the ages of nine to 12 years old. Through these activities, I understand the value of money and learned that the only way you can stay out of poverty is to make money grow
My passion
My passion is basically tailored towards helping to grow successful businesses that positively impact the lives of people. And that passion for touching lives is fueled by my commitment to God. I believe I am a light and salt of the earth. I must add value wherever I am. When our activities ensure that everyone irrespective of disabling conditions can live in their potential then we have done the work of God.
On inclusive education and accessibility
As for inclusive education in Nigeria, we are not there yet. For example, in Lagos State, the children with disabilities in the inclusive schools do not have adequate assistive education technology to get quality education.
The schools are not widespread enough: parents still need to travel long distances to take their children to school. Training of special needs teachers does not meet up with international standards yet, so we still have a long way to go.
Speaking on what we need to do, review the curriculum for training special needs teachers to meet up with international standards, establish more inclusive schools across all LCDA in Lagos State and procure more education technology to aid the learning of students with disabilities. The organised private sector and civil society organisations have a role to play in improving the quality of education of persons with disabilities. Through well thought out corporate social investment and knowledge based advocacy, they can augment the effort of the government in the quality of inclusive education.
One thing I would love to change in Nigeria tech sector
One thing I will want to contribute to the tech ecosystem in Nigeria is for Nigerians to imbibe the culture of mainstreaming accessibility in their product design. Currently in Nigeria a lot of digital content creators, web and App developers, product designers and managers do not understand the need to add accessibility features in their designs. This is where our organisation has its niche. focused on providing web content accessibility remediation and design services, accessibility audits and provision of disability equipment.
My thought on beauty
My definition of beauty is in simplicity and class. My sense of fashion is to wear the most comfortable wear suitable for a task. I believe that every woman is beautiful if she is appropriately adorned and in good spirit.
My fashion style
Simplicity is my fashion code. I am most comfortable in a pair of jeans, tee shirt and high canvas.
Fashion accessory I can’t do without
The fashion accessory I cannot do without is a necklace and a bracelet.
What next?
Accesstech is establishing Accesstech Academy, a big ultra-modern inclusive technology school. Our reach is already spread across Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
Niger’s persons living with disabilities lament continued exclusion .Speech-impaired persons frustrated by absence of special communication experts in hospitals
Despite ongoing initiatives to advance the implementation of the national disability law since its enactment in Nigeria, there remains a low level of adherence and execution across all sectors. Consequently, people with disabilities are excluded from community events, encountering obstacles in accessing buildings, healthcare facilities and transportation, and grappling with discrimination in various aspects of their lives. JUSTINA ASISHANA reports that the situation is not different in Niger State.
Musa Bello’s frustration was obvious at the General Hospital in Minna, Niger State in spite of his speech impairment. He was trying to tell a medical attendant at the hospital that his wife needed urgent medical attention, but the attendant could not understand him. The hospital had no sign language interpreter to translate what he was trying to say.
Apparently bereft of idea as to what he should do next, the medical attendant turned his back on Musa, causing the latter to lash out at the attendant in frustration. Hospital officials had to call an official from an association of persons with disability to calm Musa.
The lack of a sign language interpreter at the hospital contravenes the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act, which provides for the full integration of persons with disabilities, and requires that public hospitals make provisions for special communication for persons with disabilities.
Section V(24) of the law states: “A public hospital where a person with communicational disabilities is medically attended to shall make provision for special communication.”
A 2023 study on the status of inclusive healthcare services in Nigeria recommended the construction of ramps, adapted examination tables and other facilities that enhance physical access and inclusion of persons with disabilities. The researchers also recommended the availability of information and communication aids such as material in Braille and large print for patients with visual impairment, pictures and materials in simple language for those with learning disabilities and sign language interpreters for those with hearing and communication impairments.
However, at the time of publishing this report, no public hospital in Niger State has provision for special communication for people with disabilities.
And it is not only in hospitals that persons with disabilities face access challenges. The law provides for full integration of persons with disabilities in healthcare, education, social, economic and civil rights. But in all these spheres, persons with disabilities in Niger State and Nigeria at large continue to face obstacles.
Visually impaired Fatima Sani feels a sense of dread every time she leaves home to go into town (Minna’s central business district). Although she has a walking stick and her 12-year-old niece by her side to guide her, she has difficulty getting a keke (commercial tricycle), which is the main mode of public transport around the community.
The keke drivers do not have the impatience to wait for her to board. People are also reluctant to help Fatima and her niece cross the busy roads. Fatima faces these challenges in spite of the law addressing accessibility to roads, sidewalks and vehicles. The law forbids discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of public transport. Refusing to provide them services is an offence.
The law states that a vehicle should stop for a passenger with disability to board or alight and such a passenger should get priority in boarding. The law also requires that vehicles and bus stops provide functional accessibility aids (lifts and ramps) and that buildings provide special parking spots.
According to the law, people with disabilities are supposed to be given priority in queues. But Mohammed Enagi, the Chairman of Empowerment Initiative for Persons With Disability in Niger State, who has a physical impairment and rides a specially-designed motorcycle, said that at many filling stations, attendants ask him to wait in the queue and get off his motorcycle, even when he explains how they can accommodate him to fuel his motorcycle safely. Enagi now prefers fuelling at Bovas Filling Stations in Minna as they have shown sympathy and understanding to the plight of people with disabilities.
The Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act states that persons with disabilities shall be given first consideration in queues, with offenders liable to a fine of N50,000 or six months in prison or both.
He said: “I can’t express how sad we are about the way we are treated, especially by security agents and at filling stations. At filling stations, we are told to join the queue.
“It is only in banks that we don’t queue. At other places, they ask us to queue even when we tell them that we are not supposed to queue because of the Disability Act and the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“Although we often quote the sections for them, they feel less concerned about it.”
Several people with visual impairment also complained that bank officials would not issue them with ATM cards when they open bank accounts. Efforts made to get a comment from the Bankers Association in Niger State on why ATM cards are not issued to visually impaired persons were futile as officials neither picked their calls nor responded to text messages.
Persons with disability also face challenges accessing public buildings, including the office of the Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, which handles disability matters. Public buildings were given five years, which lapsed at the end of 2023, to make their buildings accessible by incorporating aids like lifts and ramps.
Persons with disability, especially those with physical disabilities, said that whenever a meeting to discuss disability matters is held at the second-floor office of the Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, it takes them several minutes to climb the stairs to the office, which has neither lifts nor ramps.
Disability in numbers
Disability is an umbrella term covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Impairments are problems in body functions or structures, while activity limitations are difficulties encountered by an individual in executing tasks or actions. Participation restrictions refer to challenges that interfere with a person’s ability to take part in different life activities.
In other words, disability is not just one health problem; it is a complex phenomenon reflecting the interaction between the features of a person’s body and the features of the society in which he or she lives.
The most prevalent forms of disability in Nigeria include visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment, intellectual impairment and communication impairment.
Globally, more than a billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability. This corresponds to about 15% of the world’s population. Between 110 million (2.2%) and 190 million (3.8%) people aged 15 years and older have significant difficulties in functioning. Furthermore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) observes that the rates of disability are increasing in part due to ageing populations and an increase in chronic health conditions.
The last Nigerian census in 2006 reported that there were about 3.3 million people with disabilities or 2.3% of the 140.4 million population. Then in 2018, the WHO estimated that about 29 million of the 195 million people who comprised Nigeria’s national population were living with one form of disability or the other. Data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey reveal that an estimated 7% of household members above the age of five (as well as 9% of those aged 60 or older) have some level of difficulty in at least one functional domain i.e. seeing, hearing, communication, cognition, walking, or self-care. One per cent either have a lot of difficulties or cannot function at all in at least one domain. Visual impairment is the most common type of disability in Niger State, according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2018.
Disability rights
In December 2006, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPDs), which came into force in May 2008. Nigeria ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on March 30, 2007, and its Optional Protocol on September 24, 2010. Ratification is a concrete action taken by states which signal the intention to undertake legal rights and obligations contained in the Convention or the Optional Protocol. Nigeria is thus legally bound to uphold the rights contained in the CRPD.
In 2019, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act was signed into law to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, provide for their integration into society and establish the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to oversee the implementation of the act. The commission was set up in 2020, and tasked with formulating and implementing policies, and guidelines, and monitoring implementation.
The disability law encompasses several significant provisions, prohibiting all forms of discrimination based on disability, and imposing penalties such as fines and prison sentences for violations. It guarantees the right to education for individuals with disabilities at all levels, emphasising accessible facilities and learning materials in schools. It also ensures the right to health, encompassing affordable, accessible care and health insurance coverage, with healthcare providers required to make reasonable accommodations.
The act also mandates disability-friendly public transport systems and provides concessions. Public life accessibility is safeguarded in the law, ensuring that public buildings, roads, business premises and recreational centres are accessible.
Public organisations are required to allocate at least 5% of employment opportunities to people with disabilities, ensuring equitable salaries. The legislation mandates the inclusion of people with disabilities in political appointments with provisions made for accessibility during elections. The act further provides for the establishment of the National Disability Trust Fund.
In 2020, the persons living with disabilities in Niger State decried the poor treatment of its members during the Special Public Workers Scheme of the Federal Government, as they claimed to have been short-changed in the programme.
The Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Niger State, Isah Abdullahi, led a protest to the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Minna, lamenting that despite the directive by the federal government to allocate at least 5% of slots to PLwDs, they only got 0.4%.
Niger State was allocated 25,000 slots and persons with disabilities submitted 1,250 names to the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), with 50 representatives from each of the 25 local government areas. However, when the final list was released, it had only 100 names of persons with disabilities, or 0.4%, instead of the required 5%. Worse still, the names were from only two local government areas.
The chairman says that persons with disabilities would now begin seeking legal redress against any individual or organisation that discriminates against its members, though he acknowledges that ignorance of the anti-discrimination law drives stigma, with some parents still segregating their children who have disabilities.
The Executive Director of Quality Lives for Persons with Special Needs Foundation, Abdulrahman Alwal, echoed this thought, pointing out that the state government and other actors have yet to implement the Disability Act.
He said that persons with disabilities, who are among the vulnerable group of women, youth and children, are yet to get the legally mandated commission, despite advocating for it.
“We should be given our position just like other vulnerable groups. Let all necessary provisions that we are entitled to also be given to us so that we can live favourably and conveniently.
“We will adopt litigation because we have exhausted advocacy opportunities. We have spent too much on advocating; we will start litigating. When we go to a building and it is not accessible, we will take the organisation to court.
“Whatever should happen should happen; we have gotten to that point now. And even with this political inclusion and recruitment, we will start taking people to court and start prosecuting them because it is getting out of hand.”
Alwal further stated that people with disability in Niger State are not given equal opportunities in education, employment, healthcare, transportation and other public services.
“More than 300 people have been appointed politically in the state and not even one person with a disability has been considered. We have the educated among us, but they still face discrimination in employment.
“Somebody who has had NCE since 2011 is on the street begging because no organisation has employed him. We don’t get equal representation,” he added.
While the education sector is not as accessible and inclusive as it should be, several people with disabilities in Niger State have undergraduate and master’s degrees and diplomas while others eke out a living in business.
“We try our best to do the little we can to put food on the table.
“Another success is that we are still alive. We did not allow stigmatisation and suffering to send us to an early grave.
“We will live our lives till God takes it from us. We would not allow anybody or any pain inflicted on us to kill us. We will survive,” said Alwal.
Mohammed Enagi who is the Chairman of the Empowerment Initiative for Persons with Disabilities in Niger State, runs an ICT training centre where people with disabilities are trained on various skills.
Enagi, who is currently a student at IBB University, Lapai, initially started studying IT and Sharia Law in Saudi Arabia but returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and could not return to complete his course due to a lack of funds. The university had asked for a letter of support from the Office of the governor, but efforts to get it proved futile.
He said: “When we were told to go back, they asked for a letter of notification from the Office of the Governor but no official was willing to write it.
“I give glory to God, I have my diploma and I am currently running a part-time programme at IBB University, Lapai.”
Another major concern of persons with disabilities in Niger State is mobility and accessibility. The law provides for a five-year transitional period within which public buildings, structures and vehicles are to be modified to include necessary accessibility aids like ramps and lifts, and accessible sidewalks and footbridges.
The transitional period commenced in 2018 and lapsed in 2023. However, a cursory look at the buildings and structures across the Minna metropolis showed that no move has been made towards this amendment even though new buildings keep springing up across different parts of the state capital daily.
To this end, officials at the Niger State Ministry of Housing may face several lawsuits should persons with disabilities make good their resolution to take legal action.
According to the act, an officer who approves or directs the approval of a building plan that contravenes the building code commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of at least N1,000,000 or a term of imprisonment of two years or both. Therefore, a person with a disability who is not able to access a public building has the right to make a complaint and the authority in charge of the building must fix such barriers or pay for damages suffered by the complainant.
“A government or government agency, body or individual responsible for the approval of building plans shall not approve the plan of a public building if the plan does not make provision for accessibility facilities in line with the building code. Before a public structure is constructed, its plans shall be inspected by relevant authorities to ensure that the plan conforms with the building code,” states part 2 of the Discrimination Against Persons With Disability (Prohibition) Act.
In the last three years, Abdulrahman Alwal, who is visually impaired, has been running ‘Nakasa Baka Saraba’ a radio programme on Badeggi Radio creating awareness about the challenges faced by people with disabilities. He advocates for the inclusion of disability rights during policymaking at every level and the implementation of those rights to make inclusion a reality.
Alwal stated that lack of political will has limited the usefulness of the law in Niger State. While acknowledging that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs had set up a desk for persons with disabilities and started giving them food aid, signalling renewed concern for the affairs of persons with disabilities, Alwal said much more remained to be done.
For instance, he pointed out that many buildings still don’t have wheelchair-accessible toilets and lack light alarms to notify those with hearing impairment of other people’s presence or warn them of danger. He added that public buildings should have accessibility aids for all forms of disability, such as digital communication devices and sign language interpreters.
“When we talk about accessibility in public buildings, they think there should just be a ramp for wheelchairs, but there is more to it. Ideally, there should be digital communication devices that can let you know where you are specifically.
“If I am going to the office of the commissioner, there should be a digital device that my device can connect with to know I have arrived, so that I won’t have to ask people around.”
Lacklustre response
The Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Niger State Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajara Ndayako, who serves as the Desk Officer for Persons With Disabilities, said the state government was doing its best to empower and train people with disabilities to be self-dependent and to advocate and fend for themselves.
“It is all about them rising for themselves. We encourage them to form associations and monitor their election of who will steer the affairs of their association. We also encourage them to form groups so that whenever there is assistance, they can push for inclusion, not only in this ministry but in other ministries and programmes,” she said.
She added that though the previous government had not set up a Commission for Persons with Disabilities, her office was working to put disability issues on the priority list.
“We intend to bring this issue before the governor. Other states have already got a commission as directed by the act. We are working hard on that because when it is in place, a lot of things concerning persons with disability will be addressed,” she said.
Ndayaka said several buildings such as the neonatal hospital and the women’s multipurpose centre had incorporated accessibility requirements during construction, adding that her office draws attention to the need for disability-friendly buildings, whenever the state government is putting up a new building.
“Some of these changes cannot be radical; it takes time and we will continue to push and draw the attention of all the people that are needed to address that to do so. We are trying and we will keep pushing,” she said.
Disability-friendly rating
While Minna has made little progress in making the city disability-friendly, Abuja and Lagos scored 63% and 51% in a 2015 report on access to public infrastructure, published by the Center for Citizens with Disabilities. This is despite their strategic importance as the seat of government (Federal Capital Territory) and the commercial nerve centre of the country (Lagos).
Nigeria could borrow a leaf from South Africa’s MyCiTi’s Integrated Rapid Transport System in Cape Town; a project that explicitly included universal design, making accessibility a project outcome.
It is the first universally accessible transport system in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has wide entrance gates without turnstiles and railway stations are enabled for level and seamless boarding of vehicles. There’s also a fleet of low-floor kneeling vehicles that have wheelchair positions, as well as wheel-chair accessible toilets.
Other universal access features include tactile paving to help the visually impaired locate stations and platforms, and induction loops at ticket kiosks for the hearing impaired. There are also boarding bridges on buses serving residential and central city routes, which provide passengers with level access to the buses from bus stops.
Buses are also equipped with audio LED screens and service information in diversified formats. The stations and the buses have dedicated customer support staff enabling seamless travelling for persons with disabilities. Further, MyCiTi has a Dial-a-Ride, a dedicated kerb-to-kerb service for persons with disabilities who are unable to access mainstream public transport services.
Hong Kong Public Transport System is another model system that integrates universal design ensuring seamless access to public transport for PWDs. The Transport Department set up a “Working Group on Access to Public Transport for Persons with Disabilities” with core mandates of tackling key transport challenges and addressing the transport needs of PWDs. Consequently, 30% of the buses (about 2,000) are wheelchair-accessible and are equipped with a fixed ramp and wheelchair parking space inside the buses.
Over 95% of all taxis have Braille and tactile vehicle number plates inside the vehicle compartment while about 7,500 taxis have talking meters that announce taxi service and taxi fare messages in diverse languages including English, Cantonese and Putonghua. Similar to Cape Town’s MyCiTi’s Dial-a-Ride service for PWDs, the Hong Kong government funds Rehabus services, a territory-wide transport network with a fleet of 90 wheelchair-accessible buses, for individuals unable to access public transport.
In Kenya, Nairobi County introduced a digital zebra crossing along Harambee Avenue and Uhuru Highway which ensures the safety of pedestrians with disabilities.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology enhances accessibility and improves the quality of life for persons with disabilities. Screen readers convert text to synthesised speech, allowing individuals with visual impairments to access and navigate digital content. Braille displays convert digital text into Braille, providing tactile feedback for individuals with visual impairments, and text-to-speech software and customisable communication boards help individuals with speech or communication difficulties express themselves.
Other technologies include hearing aids which amplify and clarify sound for individuals with hearing impairments, improving their ability to perceive and understand speech and other sounds, adaptive keyboards that customise keyboards with larger keys, tactile feedback, or alternative layouts to assist individuals with motor skill challenges, and eye-tracking technology which allows individuals to control a computer or device through eye movements, benefiting those with mobility impairments.
“Prosthetics and exoskeletons assist individuals with limb differences or mobility impairments by providing support and enhancing mobility, smart glasses (augmented reality glasses) provide real-time information, aiding individuals with visual impairments in navigation and recognising objects, and voice recognition software transcribes spoken words into text, facilitating hands-free computer operation for individuals with mobility impairments.
Accessible mobile apps with features like voice commands, screen magnification, and captioning enhance accessibility for various disabilities, while closed captioning and subtitles provide text descriptions of audio content in videos, benefiting individuals with hearing impairments amongst others.
Alwal uses Okam My Eyes, an app that helps him scan newspapers and books and do his financial transactions independently, thereby improving his financial security. He also has an app that can take pictures of a person or place and describe them.
In many African countries, many persons with disabilities don’t have access to these and other assistive technologies. WHO data
Disabilities
Disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.
from four African countries found that only 17% to 37% of people received assistive devices such as wheelchairs, prosthetics and hearing aids; and only 26% to 55% received the medical rehabilitation they needed., while only 17% to 37% received the assistive devices they needed such as wheelchairs, prostheses and hearing aids.
This article was produced with the support of the Africa Women’s Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) with support from the Ford Foundation.
Association of Persons with Disabilities (APWD) has decried high level of negligence being experienced by the disability community in Badagry, Lagos State.
The Chairman, Badagry chapter of the body, Mr. Ekundayo Sejoro, expressed the displeasure at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Badagry.
He said the level of negligence faced by disability community in Badagry was too high.
“These include limited access to public buildings, limited access to education and empowerment opportunities, inadequate education and employment opportunities, social exclusion and insufficient health care services.
“These are just few of many challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Badagry on a daily basis,” Sejoro added.
He hailed the public and private sectors for their support to the association in their little way and urged them to do more for people with disabilities in Badagry.
“We are taking this opportunity to call on the Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr. Olusegun Onilude, to implement Local Government Disability Policy Framework launched by Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, by establishing a disability desk for persons with disabilities in the council to address the needs and rights of persons with disabilities in Badagry.
Director (Legal Services), National Commission for persons with Disability, Joseph Okon, has called for an amendment of the commission’s power.
This was the thrust of the commemoration of the 2023 International Disability Day, themed ‘United in Action to Rescue and Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for, with and by persons with disabilities’, held by Total Inclusive Limited.
Okon said: “Accordingly, it is submitted that an urgent and immediate amendment of the commission’s power is required. This is fundamental on the essence for which the commison was set up.”
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Abel Enitan, noted that to achieve the SDGs, both government and stakeholders must unite on issues that concern PWDs.
Enitan, represented by the Chief Social Welfare Officer, Mrs. Osifoluke Abiodun, said the Federal Government, through the ministry is leaving no stone unturned in eusuring the welfare of PWDs.
“The President Bola Tinubu administration is working towards alleviating poverty and other challenges of PWDs to ensure they are well captured and properly represented in all spheres of the society. I implore all stakeholders to join hands on advocacy/awareness creation nationwide, on the existence of Discrimination against PWD (prohibition) Act, ” she said.
Board member TIL, Oluwakemi Odusanya, said the programme was organised to ensure that persons with disability get to know their rights and position when it comes to disability Act. “This programme was organised to enable us stand with one voice to understand how we can start the implementation phase to achieve some results,” she said.
The Federal Government through the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), has trained 138 women living with disability, albinism and other women in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills.
The program was a 7-day ICT and Entrepreneurship Training for persons with Disability and ICT Training on Computer Hardware and Mobile Phone Repairs for Female Artisan.
Director General of the centre, Dr. Asabe Bashir, said the training was for 68 persons with disabilities consisting of the Blind, Deaf, Albinos and those on Crutches using various adaptive technologies and also for 70 female artisans on Computer and Mobile Phones Repairs.
The DG said this in Abuja where tools, certificates and computers were handed over to the trainees.
She said the aim of the program was to empower the female participants in ICT, so they can make progress and be able to actualize their desires in life through the use of technology.
She said: “For persons living with disability, the theme of the training is apt and in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), adopted by the UN General Assembly. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) now plays a major role in all aspects of our lives and has revolutionized the way we live, work and interact.
“It is pertinent to note that no nation can fully develop to its utmost potential, without investing in Education, Empowerment and Development of its citizenry, especially, women. I want to specifically thank President Bola Ahmed Tinugu (GCFR) for his inclusive initiative aimed at ensuring that no one is left out in the scheme of things and his desire to ensure that women take advantage of ICT so as to become active and productive.
“As a parastatal, we will continue to train and empower women and youths who form more than 70 per cent of the nation’s population on ICT, Vocational and Entrepreneurial Skill Development, so they can become self-reliant and can confidently contribute their quota to the development of the nation.”
