Lagos State has restated its commitment to building a fully inclusive society where persons with disabilities can live and work without discrimination, as Nigeria joined the global community to mark the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Speaking at an event in Lagos, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the state will unveil the Lagos Disability Inclusion Compact, a framework designed to strengthen inclusive education, transportation, digital access, and economic empowerment.
The compact will reinforce the enforcement mandate of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA).
“This is a comprehensive policy framework designed to deepen accessibility, expand inclusive education, strengthen transportation support, enhance economic empowerment programs, improve digital accessibility, and reinforce LASODA’s regulatory and enforcement powers,” Salu-Hundeyin said.
The 2025 observance is themed “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress.”
The General Manager of LASODA, Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, said the day provides an opportunity to confront harmful misconceptions about persons with disabilities, including claims that they cannot be educated, employed, or elected into public office.
“Disability does not diminish intelligence, capability, or ambition,” she said.
Advocacy groups also used the occasion to call for stronger enforcement of disability rights. Convener of the Disability Rights Advocacy Network, Enobong Ozor, said Nigeria’s disability laws remain weak in practice despite existing legal provisions.
She called for increased funding, trained personnel, and stronger protection mechanisms across all levels of government to address discrimination.
Similarly, Dumbiri Frank, Lagos Central Coordinator of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, said awareness must translate into concrete reforms.
“A lot still needs to be done in terms of enforcement, monitoring, and implementation,” Frank said, urging closer collaboration between government agencies, legal institutions, and civil society groups.
