The Voice Persons with Disabilities Community of Practice Network (Voice PwD CoP Network) has joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), using the occasion to demand for urgent and sustained action to dismantle the barriers affecting over 27 million Nigerians living with disabilities.
Members of the network, at a conference held to mark the day, highlighted the persistent challenges faced by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and urged the government and relevant institutions to be more responsive to disability-related issues.
The network expressed deep concern that despite progress made, particularly with the passage of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, millions still face barriers ranging from inaccessible health centres and non-inclusive schools to limited participation in governance.
Olajide Benjamin Funsho, a representative of the Disability Not Barrier (DINAB) initiative, appealed for collective action to support the disability community.
He emphasized that social change would benefit both persons with and without disabilities, adding that the annual commemoration should “encourage everyone to lend their voice and help highlight the challenges PWDs face while advocating for their rights and social integration.”
Benjamin further noted that poverty remains one of the most significant barriers for PWDs, stressing the need for organizations and institutions to become more inclusive. According to him, persons with disabilities can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society if given equal opportunities, supportive environments, and access to essential resources.
Also speaking at the event, the CoP Lead of the Voice PWD Network, Favour Afokeoghene Adjara, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to advancing disability rights and strengthening advocacy for inclusion across all sectors. She emphasized that the year’s theme, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” reflects a critical truth.
According to her, “Nigeria cannot achieve true development while persons with disabilities remain excluded from education, employment, digital access, and public life.”
Citing data from Nigeria’s 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, the group noted that children with disabilities continue to experience lower school attendance and poorer health outcomes. They therefore called for greater accountability from government institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
“Disability inclusion is neither a favour nor charity but a matter of human rights, social justice, and smart national investment,” the statement read. “When persons with disabilities have equal access to opportunities, the entire society benefits from increased creativity, stronger communities, and more resilient economies.”
According to them, inclusion requires “accessible infrastructure, effective laws, innovative technology, and investment in leadership by persons with disabilities, especially women and girls.”
The disability community outlined key demands to the Nigerian government, including full accessibility of public infrastructure, implementation of the Inclusive Education Policy 2023, expansion of economic opportunities, and enforcement of the 5% minimum employment quota for persons with disabilities as required by the National Disability Act 2018. They also called for stronger funding and domestication of disability-inclusive policies at both national and state levels.
As part of this year’s IDPD activities, the Voice PWD CoP Network announced a series of engagements focused on bridging the digital divide, promoting safer online and physical environments for women and girls with disabilities, and amplifying the lived experiences of PWDs in decision-making spaces.
These efforts aim to build inclusive digital communities and strengthen advocacy for equitable access to opportunities.
The network further called on government agencies, diplomatic missions, civil society organizations, donors, media platforms, and the private sector to take concrete steps toward real inclusion. They emphasized that lasting progress requires inclusive programming, meaningful consultation with PWDs, and long-term investment in their empowerment and leadership.