By Our Correspondent
The Executive Director of the Empowerment Initiative of Persons with Disabilities (EIPWD), Muhammad Abubakar Enagi, has called on the Niger State Government to urgently activate and operationalize the Niger State Disability Commission, warning that continued delays are leaving thousands of persons with disabilities without adequate institutional support and protection.
Enagi made the appeal in a statement made available to journalists, urging the state government and key stakeholders to prioritize the implementation of the commission as a critical step towards promoting inclusion, equality, and social justice for persons with disabilities across the state.
The appeal was directed to the Niger State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), relevant ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders involved in advancing the rights and welfare of vulnerable populations.
According to EIPWD, Niger State remains the only state in Nigeria’s North-Central region without a fully functional Disability Commission, despite being one of the country’s largest states with a significant population of persons living with disabilities.
The organization expressed concern that the absence of the commission has continued to expose persons with disabilities to numerous barriers, including limited access to quality education, healthcare services, employment opportunities, social protection programmes, and meaningful participation in governance and decision-making processes.
Enagi stressed that the establishment and full implementation of the commission would serve as a transformative milestone for disability inclusion in the state, providing a dedicated institutional framework to coordinate disability affairs and champion the rights of persons with disabilities.
“The commission is not merely another government agency,” he noted. “It is a vital mechanism for ensuring that persons with disabilities are recognized, protected, empowered, and included in all aspects of the state’s development agenda.”
He explained that a functional Disability Commission would be responsible for monitoring compliance with disability laws and policies, promoting accessibility in public and private spaces, facilitating advocacy efforts, coordinating disability-related programmes, and ensuring that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard at all levels of governance.
The disability rights advocate further emphasized that the commission would help bridge long-standing gaps in service delivery and create opportunities for greater socio-economic participation by persons with disabilities.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Niger State Government in supporting vulnerable groups and implementing social welfare programmes, EIPWD maintained that more decisive action is needed to address the unique challenges confronting persons with disabilities.
“The time to act is now,” Enagi declared. “Persons with disabilities in Niger State deserve a strong institutional framework that protects their rights, amplifies their voices, and guarantees their inclusion in every sphere of society.”
He added that operationalizing the commission would not only demonstrate the government’s commitment to equity and inclusion but would also align Niger State with national and international standards on disability rights and inclusive development.
According to the organization, the move would provide renewed hope to thousands of persons with disabilities who have long awaited a structured platform through which their concerns can be addressed and their rights protected.
EIPWD concluded by urging the state government to treat the implementation of the Disability Commission as a matter of urgency, stressing that inclusive development cannot be achieved when a significant segment of the population remains marginalized.
For many disability advocates, the establishment of the commission represents more than a policy commitment—it is a powerful statement that every citizen, regardless of ability, matters and deserves equal opportunities to contribute to the growth and development of Niger State.
As calls for disability inclusion continue to gain momentum across Nigeria, stakeholders say the operationalization of the Niger State Disability Commission would mark a significant step toward ensuring that no person with a disability is left behind.
