By Emmanuel Emeka, Abuja
The Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI) has called for stronger enforcement of Nigeria’s disability laws and greater national commitment to inclusion, as the organisation marked the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
The press briefing, supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria, held on Thursday in Abuja and brought together government officials, civil society organisations, development partners and members of the disability community.
In her statement, Executive Director of VDI, Catherine Edeh, said the annual commemoration was a reminder that persons with disabilities in Nigeria continue to face daily barriers and long-standing exclusion.
She said the 2025 global theme, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” challenges every sector to rethink systems and attitudes that keep people with disabilities invisible or ignored.
Edeh noted that marginalisation remains widespread across the country.
At VDI, she said the organisation encounters these challenges regularly: women and girls with disabilities exposed to higher risks of gender-based violence, children denied equal education opportunities, and adults locked out of jobs, healthcare, and justice.
“These are not abstract statistics. They are lived experiences-painful, daily reminders that disability inclusion is not a privilege; it is a right,” she said.
She announced that VDI is convening a National Symposium on Disability Inclusion to assess progress and gaps in implementing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, identify challenges, and push for stronger accountability systems nationwide.
Edeh also called for full implementation of the disability law, increased investment in accessible justice systems, institutional reforms to embed accessibility across development sectors, and stronger partnerships with civil society and government actors.
To the media, she said: “Your platforms can amplify voices that have been ignored for too long. We urge you to continue shining light on issues affecting persons with disabilities especially women, girls and children not only today, but every day, because silence sustains inequality.”
She urged government to move beyond speeches to action, saying inclusion must reflect in “budget lines, service delivery, law enforcement, and social attitudes.”
“As we mark IDPD 2025, VDI stands firm in our mission to build a Nigeria where every person with a disability can live, learn, work, and thrive in safety and dignity. This is not charity; this is justice,” she added.
‘We Have Rights That Must Be Enforced’ — National Commission for Persons with Disabilities
Representing the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Director of Compliance and Enforcement, Nkem Uchegbulam, said he attended the event because of the Commission’s respect for VDI’s work.
Uchegbulam explained that the 2018 Disability Act transformed the rights of persons with disabilities into enforceable legal protections.
He added that the Commission is already enforcing provisions on accessibility under Sections 2, 3 and 15 of the Act, which will also help generate revenue to support disability needs nationwide.
He said, “If you have not gotten employment as a person with disability, you qualify, you apply, you are denied, you have a right to go to court to demand that you get employed.
“Once the Commission generates income, income will be plunged back into disability inclusion,” he said.
According to him, the day is significant because persons with disabilities now mark it “because we have a right under the law… rights that must be protected, that must be demanded, that must be enforced.”
He stressed that Nigeria can only regard itself as a developing nation when persons with disabilities find meaningful inclusion across society.
Federal Ministry of Health Moves to Strengthen Policy, Coordination and Access
Representing the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Director of Family Health, John Ovuoraye, said political will now exists at the federal level to advance disability rights in the health sector.
He explained that the ministry is reviewing and replacing older policies to ensure disability is central to discussions on sexual and reproductive health, not limited to women and girls alone.
He added that a new disability technical working group has just been inaugurated to coordinate efforts among NGOs, government agencies, UN bodies and academia.
Ovuoraye highlighted plans to strengthen primary healthcare centres nationwide, ensuring accessibility for wheelchair users, persons with visual impairments, and those who require sign language interpretation.
He stressed the need for better training for healthcare providers, improved awareness at community levels, and consistent budgetary allocation for disability inclusion.
‘Everyone Must Raise a Red Flag’ — Edoka Trauma Care Centre
Chief Facilitator of Edoka Trauma Care Centre, Ene Ede, urged organizations and citizens to treat disability inclusion as a national obligation, not an act of sympathy.
She called for accountability, sanctions where necessary, and honest reporting whenever organisations fail to comply with disability requirements.
She said, “We don’t need to be cajoled. We don’t need to be advocated. We just need to do this as part of our obligation.
“If we don’t take some of those drastic actions that doesn’t look wicked, we will not be able to get around it,” she said.
Ede emphasized that inclusion must be deliberate, consistent and rooted in development, not emotion.
“We should be able to hold everybody… media and civil society will be able to hold these persons accountable,” she added.
