Abuja, March 20, 2025 — In a passionate call to action, the Inclusive Skills Development Initiative (ISDI) has urged governments at all levels, policymakers, and stakeholders to urgently address the systemic challenges confronting women with disabilities in Nigeria’s trade and business sectors.
At a well-attended news conference held on Thursday in Abuja, ISDI’s Executive Director, Mrs. Angelina Ugben, unveiled the findings of a groundbreaking research titled “Breaking Barriers: Promoting Gender-Inclusive Trade and Business Opportunities for Women with Disabilities in Abuja.” The study, conducted in collaboration with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, provides an in-depth exploration of the structural hurdles and untapped economic potential of women with disabilities.
Describing the study as more than just a report, Mrs. Ugben emphasized that the findings are a clarion call to action, urging all sectors of society to champion a more inclusive, equitable economic landscape. “Women with disabilities represent a vital segment of our society whose contributions to trade, entrepreneurship, and economic growth have been largely overlooked,” Ugben stated firmly. “Their exclusion is not merely a social injustice—it is an economic oversight Nigeria can no longer afford.”
The ISDI boss shed light on the harsh realities women with disabilities face daily. Deep-seated socio-cultural stigma and discrimination, financial exclusion, limited access to education and entrepreneurial training, policy inadequacies, physical barriers in infrastructure, and technological limitations are just a few of the systemic challenges highlighted by the research. Ugben cited poignant testimonies from women who revealed how customers refused to patronize them based on their disabilities, while others shared the struggle of accessing financial services due to physical inaccessibility at banks and discriminatory lending practices.
Fasasi Monsurat, the National Women Leader of the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD), echoed these concerns. She pointed out how negative societal perceptions continue to erode the confidence of women with disabilities and limit customer trust, thereby shrinking their opportunities in trade and entrepreneurship. “Many are judged not by their capabilities, but by their disabilities,” she lamented.
Financial exclusion emerged as a particularly pressing issue. Many women with disabilities lack access to formal loans or credit, often relying on inadequate informal savings and family support. One respondent highlighted the struggle of conducting banking transactions, noting, “Banks lack facilities to accommodate my wheelchair, and I have to depend on others to help with transactions.”
Similarly, limited educational and training opportunities were identified as significant barriers. Bilikisu Yakubu, National Coordinator of the Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), shared that many training programs lacked basic accommodations such as sign language interpreters or braille materials, leaving women with disabilities unable to access crucial entrepreneurial skills. “The training was completely inaccessible, and I had to pay extra to get retrained,” one visually impaired respondent recounted.
Policy gaps further exacerbate these challenges. Despite Nigeria’s progressive Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, the research revealed glaring inconsistencies in its implementation. Existing policies like the National Women Economic Empowerment Policy and the National MSMEs Policy often fail to consider the specific needs of women with disabilities, leaving them without the legal and institutional support necessary for economic participation.
Physical inaccessibility of markets, workplaces, and public spaces presents another significant hurdle. Women with disabilities repeatedly encounter unsafe ramps, inaccessible restrooms, and mobility restrictions that limit their ability to operate businesses effectively. Adding to the complexity, the rise of digital economies has not favored women with disabilities. Inaccessible technologies and digital platforms without screen readers, captions, or assistive features hinder their participation in online trade, marketing, and digital entrepreneurship.
However, amid these grim realities, the research also highlighted significant opportunities for progress. According to Anyanwu Perpetua, a member of ISDI, women with disabilities have consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience and entrepreneurial drive. Many are already making strides in sectors such as catering, fashion, agriculture, and even technology, using social media creatively to market their products despite systemic limitations.
“The skills, determination, and experience of women with disabilities represent an untapped resource,” Perpetua stressed. “With the right support, they can expand businesses, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic growth.”
She called on stakeholders to leverage Nigeria’s commitments to international treaties like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the African Disability Protocol (ADP) to bolster frameworks that foster inclusion.
Sophia Chimuanya, ISDI’s Media Officer, highlighted the urgent need for policies explicitly addressing the intersectionality of gender and disability. She stressed the necessity of integrating gender- and disability-disaggregated data into policy planning and implementing financial and training programs tailored specifically for women with disabilities.
Driving the message further, Nnenna Ucheya, ISDI’s Admin Officer, proposed a series of specific actions to turn the research findings into concrete progress. She emphasized the importance of accessible infrastructure—such as proper ramps, elevators, and digital platforms—and called on financial institutions to develop tailored financial products for women with disabilities while eliminating existing biases.
Furthermore, Ucheya advocated for revising existing economic and disability policies to include enforceable provisions that specifically protect and promote the interests of women with disabilities. She urged business associations and leadership forums to actively include women with disabilities and called for increased representation in decision-making bodies.
In her closing remarks, Mrs. Ugben reiterated that economic inclusion for women with disabilities is not a charitable gesture but an investment in Nigeria’s collective prosperity. “Supporting women with disabilities is a win-win. Their participation in trade and business can drive job creation, boost local economies, and advance national development,” she emphasized.
Adding to the conversation, Evelyn Ugbe, ISDI’s Lead Researcher, called on the government to tap into the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the opportunities presented by the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector to empower women with disabilities. She urged stakeholders to break away from traditional gendered business models, encouraging support for women with disabilities in emerging sectors like technology and artificial intelligence. “Tech is the new oil,” she declared. “Our research shows that women with disabilities are almost absent in tech businesses. It’s time to change that narrative.”
The conference concluded with a resounding call for accountability, collaboration, and sustained action. For Nigeria to realize its economic potential and commitment to inclusivity, stakeholders, government actors, and the private sector must come together to dismantle barriers and create a truly enabling environment for women with disabilities to thrive.
As the research clearly shows, women with disabilities are not a peripheral group—they are entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers who, if given the right tools and opportunities, can redefine Nigeria’s economic future.
