By Agbo Christian Obiora
Executive Director, The Qualitative Magazine
Across Nigeria, the drumbeat of inclusion is growing louder—and with it, a renewed hope for over 30 million Nigerians living with disabilities. Disability rights advocates, civil society organizations, and voices from the grassroots have long called for transformative policies that would not only recognize the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) but actively promote their dignity, autonomy, and inclusion in all spheres of life.
Now, that call is beginning to be answered—not just in Abuja, but across Nigeria’s 36 states.
In what experts and advocates are calling a monumental shift, state governments are increasingly enacting disability legislation in alignment with the federal Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, which became enforceable in 2019. The move to domesticate this federal law at the state level—ensuring that each state has its own legal framework protecting PWDs—is being celebrated as a giant stride towards equity and social justice.
Just recently, the Taraba State House of Assembly joined the growing list of states passing their own disability bills into law, signaling a significant commitment to fostering inclusion and ending discrimination against one of Nigeria’s most marginalized populations.
A Legal Lifeline: Protection of Rights and Human Dignity
At the core of these state-level laws is a powerful message: disability is not inability, and discrimination is unacceptable. These laws prohibit discrimination in employment, education, healthcare, and access to public spaces. They impose penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment on individuals, organizations, or institutions found violating the rights of PWDs.
For example, states such as Lagos, Ekiti, Anambra, Plateau, and now Taraba have tailored their laws to reflect the provisions of the federal act—while also adapting them to local realities. This means that a child with a visual impairment in Awka, or a woman using a wheelchair in Jalingo, is legally protected against denial of education, healthcare, or job opportunities.
Implication? For the first time, PWDs are not just demanding inclusion—they have the law on their side to enforce it.
Breaking Barriers: Access to Infrastructure and Essential Services
For decades, lack of accessibility has been a major stumbling block for PWDs in Nigeria. From inaccessible public buildings to transportation systems that exclude, physical barriers have mirrored the attitudinal ones.
However, many state-level disability laws now mandate accessibility standards in public infrastructure. Some even provide a transition period—usually five years—for government institutions and private businesses to comply.
The impact of this change cannot be overstated:
- Enhanced mobility: With ramps, elevators, tactile walkways, and signages becoming a legal requirement, persons with disabilities can move independently and confidently in their communities.
- Inclusive healthcare and education: Provisions for sign language interpreters in hospitals or braille books in schools make basic services truly universal and accessible.
- Economic participation: Accessibility in transport and workplaces opens new doors for PWDs to gain employment, start businesses, or participate in vocational training—thereby reducing poverty and dependency.
Economic Empowerment and Affirmative Action
A particularly progressive feature of many new state disability laws is the promotion of socio-economic inclusion. These laws often include directives for:
- Equal employment opportunities
- Affirmative action quotas in public service
- Inclusion in entrepreneurship schemes
- Access to vocational and skills training
This is especially crucial in a country where unemployment among PWDs remains alarmingly high—largely due to stigma, inaccessibility, and policy neglect.
When the government reserves a quota of public sector jobs for PWDs or mandates inclusion in state empowerment programmes, it does more than offer a paycheck—it validates capability, builds confidence, and shatters centuries-old myths that disability equals dependency.
A Long Road Ahead—But Momentum Is Building
Despite these gains, challenges persist. Many states are yet to domesticate the disability law. Others have passed the laws but are lagging behind in implementation. Experts have warned that laws without action remain paper promises.
Funding, monitoring mechanisms, public awareness, and capacity-building for implementation remain critical gaps. Moreover, many PWDs, especially in rural areas, are unaware of their rights or how to claim them.
“There is no use passing a law if the hospital in the village still turns away a deaf child because there’s no interpreter,” said Dr. Anwuli Ofuani-Sokolo, a legal scholar from the University of Benin, during a recent virtual forum on disability inclusion.
The Road to Inclusive Governance Starts Here
What’s clear, however, is that Nigeria is witnessing a growing political and social will to confront disability discrimination head-on. From the national capital to state assemblies and local communities, the message is gaining ground: disability rights are human rights.
The journey toward an inclusive Nigeria is far from over. But with each state that passes a disability law—and each community that implements it in schools, clinics, markets, and workplaces—we move closer to a society where no one is left behind.
And for the millions of Nigerians with disabilities, that day cannot come soon enough.
