The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Lagos State Chapter, has called on disability agencies across Nigeria to move beyond cash distribution and assistive device handouts to become true regulatory and coordinating institutions that ensure accountability and inclusion.
The call was made in a statement issued by Abolarinwa Salami, Chairman of JONAPWD Lagos State, to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, themed “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress.”
While acknowledging the efforts of the state government and the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs in supporting persons with disabilities, Salami noted that Lagos remains one of the few states in Nigeria with a robust disability law and a dedicated disability affairs office, describing these as commendable strides that signal political will.
However, he stated that disability agencies must elevate their institutional role beyond being perceived as ‘glorified NGOs’.
“While such interventions are helpful, they must not overshadow or replace the core mandate of disability laws, which is to transform society and secure the rights, dignity, and full inclusion of persons with disabilities,” Salami said.
He called for disability agencies to be strengthened legally, financially, and operationally to function as true regulatory and coordinating institutions ensuring real accountability across government ministries, departments, and agencies.
JONAPWD identified key areas where disability agencies must focus, including access to quality and impactful education at all levels, inclusive and affordable healthcare services, robust social protection systems, equal economic opportunities and decent work, and accessibility of built environment and public infrastructure.
Other areas include transportation systems, digital inclusion and protection in the evolving technological landscape, and implementation and enforcement of disability laws in their full spirit and letter.
The chairman also appreciated LASODA for its growing range of social intervention programmes, including financial support to deserving PWDs, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, as well as initiatives aimed at enhancing empowerment and community participation.
“A society that is inclusive is not only fair, it is more innovative, more prosperous, and more sustainable,” Salami said as he emphasized that more work remains to be done to achieve genuine disability inclusion in society.
He reaffirmed JONAPWD Lagos State’s commitment to continue working collaboratively with government, disability agencies, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities to advance disability inclusion.
Salami called for recommitment to building a Lagos State and Nigeria where disability inclusion is not an act of charity but a guarantee of rights, not a periodic intervention but a permanent feature of governance, and not a slogan but an achieved reality.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed annually on December 3 to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development.