Abuja, Nigeria – The World Bank has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to ensuring that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are not left behind in the provision of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in Nigeria, under the auspices of its $700 million Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme.
This renewed pledge was made during a high-level National Roundtable on Disability Inclusion in the WASH sector, held recently in Abuja. The event brought together government officials, representatives of civil society organisations, development partners, and disability rights advocates to evaluate progress, identify existing barriers, and chart a path forward for embedding inclusive practices within the SURWASH framework.
Speaking at the roundtable, Ms. Awa Diagne, the World Bank Task Team Lead for the SURWASH programme, emphasized that the initiative is not just a one-off project, but a transformative effort aimed at financing infrastructure while overhauling national systems to be more inclusive and sustainable.
“SURWASH is designed to support states in designing and implementing policies that prioritise inclusion and resilience, especially for marginalised groups such as persons with disabilities,” Diagne stated.
She stressed that disability inclusion must be intentional and deeply rooted in the design and execution of WASH projects, urging stakeholders to move beyond tokenistic measures like ramps and handrails. “Disability inclusion must go beyond physical structures. It should comprehensively address the needs of people with mobility, visual, hearing, and cognitive impairments through deliberate design from the very beginning,” she noted.
Diagne also charged state-level actors to turn the outcomes of the roundtable into tangible results, advocating for the inclusion of persons with disabilities at every stage of policy and programme development. “We must rethink who we consult and how we define inclusion. Disability should not be an afterthought. It must be embedded in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation processes,” she added.
The World Bank’s Senior Social Development Specialist, Ms. Cindy Ikeaka, painted a sobering picture of the challenges faced by more than 25 million Nigerians with disabilities, many of whom continue to face systemic exclusion from essential public services due to inaccessible infrastructure and weak policy enforcement.
“Children with disabilities are often unable to attend school because the facilities are not designed with them in mind,” Ikeaka said. She further highlighted the critical need to uphold the provisions of Nigeria’s 2019 Disability Act, which mandates the inclusion of PWDs in all public services and infrastructure planning.
Pointing to the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project as a successful model of inclusive development, Ikeaka reinforced the importance of meaningful engagement. “True accessibility begins with involving those most affected. Inclusion is not optional — it is essential for achieving sustainable development.”
Also speaking at the roundtable, SURWASH National Programme Coordinator, Mr. Abdulhamid Gwaram, described disability inclusion in WASH as both a legal and moral obligation. He acknowledged existing gaps in planning and infrastructure that hinder access for PWDs and called for a shift from policy rhetoric to decentralised, state-level implementation.
“We have initiated partnerships with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, but to achieve real change, we must extend the conversation beyond the federal level. States and local governments need to be at the forefront of inclusive WASH delivery,” Gwaram said.
He reaffirmed the programme’s commitment to working closely with disability stakeholders to ensure that WASH services in SURWASH-implementing states — including Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau, and Katsina — meet the needs of all citizens, regardless of ability.
Adding to the discourse, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr. Tony Agwuna, advocated for the institutionalisation of disability-responsive planning across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He emphasised the importance of data disaggregation to effectively capture and respond to the diverse experiences of PWDs in the WASH sector.
“Inclusive WASH is a human rights imperative. It is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fulfilling Nigeria’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” Agwuna stated.
The National Roundtable served as a critical platform for reflection, accountability, and renewed collaboration. Stakeholders left with a shared understanding that disability inclusion must no longer be an afterthought but a non-negotiable standard in all WASH interventions.
As the SURWASH programme progresses in its implementation across seven states, the spotlight remains on how Nigeria — with the support of development partners like the World Bank — can build a future where access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is a reality for everyone, including the millions with disabilities.
