Disability rights advocates have called on the federal government to move beyond policy declarations and accelerate the implementation of commitments made under the Global Disability Summit (GDS), warning that millions of Nigerians with disabilities continue to face barriers in education, employment, healthcare, information access and social protection despite existing legal protections.
The call was made on Wednesday during a media roundtable on the Nigeria 2025 Global Disability Summit (GDS) Commitments Action Plan, where stakeholders outlined key government pledges and urged journalists to play a more active role in monitoring their implementation.
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Speaking at the event, the National President of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Abdullahi Usman, represented by the Programme Officer, Bukunmi Adejumo, said the action plan was developed to support advocacy efforts, strengthen accountability and ensure that commitments made by Nigeria at the Global Disability Summit translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities.
She explained that the Global Disability Summit is the world’s largest platform dedicated to advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, bringing together governments, United Nations agencies, civil society organisations and organisations of persons with disabilities to drive commitments on disability-inclusive development and humanitarian action.
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According to her, the Nigeria 2025 GDS Commitments Action Plan was developed by organisations of persons with disabilities in collaboration with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), with support from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF).
Ms Adejumo said one of the major commitments focuses on digital information and communication accessibility, an area she noted is of particular importance to the media.
She said the federal government has committed to ensuring that the National Broadcasting Commission implements disability-inclusive and accessible broadcast services by December 2027, including wider use of sign language interpretation, audio captioning and other accessibility measures in broadcasting operations.
She added that the government also pledged to consult persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the design and development of accessible digital information and communication platforms.
“The commitment is not just about providing information but ensuring that information is accessible to everyone regardless of disability,” she said.
The JONAPWD official also highlighted commitments aimed at improving financial inclusion, noting that the government has undertaken to ensure accessible banking services and facilities across financial institutions by June 2028.
According to her, the target is for at least 75 per cent of banks operating in the country to provide services that are accessible to persons with disabilities.
She further disclosed that the government has committed to pursuing legislation that would allocate at least two per cent of the country’s annual consolidated revenue to disability inclusion initiatives across sectors by December 2026.
On education, Ms Adejumo expressed concern over the continued exclusion of many children with disabilities from the school system, describing the current state of inclusive education in Nigeria as inadequate.
She noted that many children with disabilities remain out of school, while those enrolled often face segregation, poor learning conditions and a lack of specialised support.
As part of the commitments, she said the government aims to ensure that 70 per cent of out-of-school children are returned to school by 2028 through inclusive education policies and programmes.
However, she stressed that commitments alone would not solve the problem without concrete implementation.
“We need action. We need to ensure that these commitments are reflected in government programmes, budgets and implementation plans,” she said.
Ms Adejumo also identified legal capacity, social protection, healthcare, accessible infrastructure, community inclusion, employment and humanitarian action as key pillars of the action plan.
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She said particular attention is being placed on ensuring that persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities are able to exercise their legal rights through supported decision-making mechanisms.
She further called for greater involvement of the private sector in promoting disability inclusion, urging companies to move beyond token gestures and adopt measurable standards that support the participation of persons with disabilities in economic and social life.
According to her, organisations of persons with disabilities will serve as accountability watchdogs by tracking progress on the commitments and engaging government institutions on areas where implementation falls short.
Ms Adejumo said the media would play a crucial role in amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities and drawing public attention to gaps in implementation.
“We want to move from commitments to impact. By the time the next Global Disability Summit holds in 2028, we want to be able to point to real achievements rather than return with the same promises,” she said.
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