Group launches state of Disability Inclusion Report in Nigeria, calls for action
By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.
Project Enable Africa, in collaboration with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has launched Nigeria’s first-ever State of Disability Inclusion Report (SDIR) 2024 in Abuja, on Friday, July 25, 2025.
Speaking during the launch, the Executive Director of Project Enable Africa, Mr. Olalekan Owonikoko, said the report is a landmark assessment of disability rights implementation across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“It was developed through stakeholder consultations and key interviews with persons with disabilities across the country,” Owonikoko noted.
In his keynote address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, commended the efforts of Project Enable Africa in producing a timely, evidence-based report.
He emphasized that the SDIR is not just a record of progress but a call to action. He reaffirmed his office’s commitment to working with stakeholders to advance inclusion nationwide.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), who was represented by Barrister Nkem Uchegbulam, pledged that the commission, along with the SDIR document, would send a memo to relevant ministries and state governments to clarify how the report’s findings relate to their mandates.
Representing the board members of Project Enable Africa, Dr. Kola Olugbodi, in his opening remarks at the launch, said that since the Disability Act was passed in 2019, a five-year grace period was given for full compliance. He stressed that, “This report helps us assess how far we have come, looking at accessibility, employment, and inclusion of persons with disabilities. It is not just a document; it’s a wake-up call.”
While giving an overview of the report, Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, who coordinated the preparation of the document, highlighted that only 23 states have disability laws, and just 15 have operational agencies. He said, “Despite national progress in advancing disability inclusion, we still have significant barriers and gaps between the national disability law and its implementation.”
The report is part of the Disability Inclusion Metric Project (DIMP), funded by the Nigerian Youth Futures Fund. It came at a critical juncture, marking the end of the five-year transitional period stipulated by the National Disability Act passed in 2019.
Project Enable Africa, with a mission to promote the rights, empowerment, and social inclusion of persons with disabilities, is committed to ensuring the report does not remain a mere document but translates into tangible results and meaningful action, according to a press statement signed by Olalekan Owonikoko, Executive Director, Project Enable Africa.
