‘Investing in persons with disabilities is not welfare—it is strategic social investment,’ LASODA GM declares
By TQM News,
LAGOS — For 12 disability organisations in Lagos State, September 3, 2026, came with more than ceremony—it came with a financial boost aimed at taking disability advocacy, support services and empowerment closer to the people who need them most.
The Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) has disbursed a total of ₦24 million in special intervention funding to 12 registered Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) across the state.
The funds were presented to the beneficiary organisations at LASODA’s premises in Alausa, Ikeja, as the agency moved to strengthen the operational capacity of disability organisations and expand their ability to provide grassroots services.
At the heart of the intervention is a simple but powerful reality: organisations cannot effectively fight exclusion when they themselves lack the resources to operate.
Speaking during the presentation, LASODA General Manager, Mrs. Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, said the intervention was specifically designed to support registered OPDs in delivering grassroots advocacy, services and economic empowerment programmes.
She linked the initiative to the Lagos State Government’s THEMES+ agenda, particularly its commitment to social inclusion and equal participation.
But Oyetunde-Lawal went further, challenging the traditional perception of disability interventions as charity.
“When we invest in persons with disabilities, we are not merely providing welfare.”
Instead, she said, such investment creates opportunities for persons with disabilities to become productive, independent and active contributors to Lagos’ social and economic development.
“This is why strengthening our Organisations of Persons with Disabilities is a strategic social investment.”
OPDs: The Frontline of Inclusion
The LASODA boss described OPDs as indispensable partners in the state’s disability-inclusion efforts.
Their strength, she explained, lies in their proximity to persons with disabilities and their ability to identify needs and respond to challenges at the community level.
She assured the organisations that LASODA recognises the value of their work.
“LASODA sees you, values your contribution and recognises you as important partners in the work of inclusion.”
However, with the funding comes responsibility.
Oyetunde-Lawal urged the beneficiary organisations to ensure that the intervention produces tangible results for the communities they represent.
The expectation, she said, is for the impact of the funding to be felt beyond organisational offices and meetings—wherever persons with disabilities are confronting barriers to participation, independence and economic opportunity.
Disability Organisations Welcome Intervention
Responding on behalf of the beneficiary organisations, Chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tolani Ojuri, expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government and LASODA for the intervention and their continued engagement with the disability community.
The latest intervention also reinforces LASODA’s stated commitment to building stronger partnerships with disability organisations and supporting programmes focused on the wellbeing, participation and socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities.
More Than ₦24 Million
The significance of the intervention goes beyond the amount released.
For the disability community, properly funded OPDs can mean stronger advocacy, better community outreach, more sustainable programmes and greater capacity to hold institutions accountable for disability inclusion.
And that is where the real test begins.
The ₦24 million may have been disbursed on September 3, but its true value will ultimately be measured not by the cheques presented or the photographs taken at the ceremony, but by how many lives are reached, how many barriers are challenged and how many persons with disabilities gain greater independence because of the investment.
That is the real promise of inclusion: not simply funding organisations, but funding the possibility of a more equal society.
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