President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance, emphasizing that disability inclusion is a constitutional right and a measure of national progress, not an act of charity.
The President stated this on Wednesday while declaring open the 2025 National Disability Summit held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja. The two-day summit, themed “Inclusive Nigeria: Empowering Persons with Disabilities for Sustainable Development,” was organized by the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction and international partners.
Represented by the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, President Tinubu stressed that every Nigerian, irrespective of physical or mental condition, is entitled to equal access to education, employment, healthcare, political participation, and social protection.
“Inclusion is not just a social agenda; it is an economic and governance imperative. Evidence around the world shows that societies that include persons with disabilities in schools and workplaces grow faster and are more innovative,” he said.
The President reaffirmed that his administration would continue to reduce the number of out-of-school children with disabilities, expand access to health insurance, strengthen workplace accessibility, distribute assistive devices nationwide, and enforce the mandatory five percent employment quota for persons with disabilities.
He commended the Executive Secretary of the NCPWD, Hon. Ayuba Burki Gufwan, for his leadership and commitment to advancing disability rights and inclusion in Nigeria.
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In his welcome remarks, Hon. Gufwan said the summit marked Nigeria’s follow-up to the 2025 Global Disability Summit held in Berlin, Germany, and provided a platform for assessing progress on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
He announced plans to develop a National Disability Action and Accountability Plan (2025–2030) to strengthen implementation of inclusive policies across sectors.
Chairman of the House Committee on Disability Affairs, Hon. Bashiru Daudu, in his keynote address, urged full enforcement of the Disability Act to eliminate discrimination and promote access.
Representatives of development partners, including GIZ Country Director, Dr. Markus Wagner, reaffirmed international support for Nigeria’s disability inclusion agenda, highlighting ongoing programs that have empowered over 2,800 persons with disabilities through training, digital inclusion, and financial access.
The summit also featured goodwill messages from the Ministers of Women Affairs and Justice, panel discussions on inclusive education, accessibility, economic empowerment, and legal accountability, and the inauguration of the National Forum of Disability Commissions and Agencies (NAFDCA).
The event ended with a call for stronger partnerships between government, development partners, the media, and civil society to accelerate the implementation of the Disability Act and make inclusion a lived reality for all Nigerians.
