Inclusivity/Gender
APC PWDs seek full implementation of Nigeria's disability Act, 2018
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
05 Dec 2025 04:22 AM
As Nigeria joins the world to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), the National Leader of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Aare (Hon.) Durotolu Oyebode Bankole, has demanded urgent and concrete action from federal, state, and local governments to fully implement the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.
In a strongly worded statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, Bankole described the seven-year delay in domesticating and enforcing the landmark legislation as “unacceptable and a betrayal of millions of Nigerians living with disabilities.”
“This year’s global theme, ‘Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,’ is not mere rhetoric,” Bankole said.
“It echoes the Doha Political Declaration and reminds us that no nation can achieve sustainable development while leaving over 35 million of its citizens behind.”, Bankole added
He highlighted persistent barriers including inaccessible public buildings, lack of sign-language interpreters in government functions, denial of employment opportunities, and the near-total absence of disability desks in most ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) seven years after the Act was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bankole specifically called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the immediate establishment and funding of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities as stipulated in Section 31 of the Act, noting that the commission remains under-resourced and unable to effectively monitor compliance nationwide.
“Political will, not speeches, is what we need now,” he stressed.
According to him, “State governments must domesticate the law without further delay, while the Federal Government should enforce the five-year transitional period for accessibility that expired in January 2024.”
The APC disability leader commended cluster groups within the PWD community for their resilience and urged party leaders at all levels to prioritize disability inclusion in the 2027 manifesto and candidate selection processes.
The 2025 IDPD is being marked globally under the auspices of the United Nations with events across Nigeria focusing on digital accessibility, inclusive education, and economic empowerment for persons with disabilities.
In a strongly worded statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, Bankole described the seven-year delay in domesticating and enforcing the landmark legislation as “unacceptable and a betrayal of millions of Nigerians living with disabilities.”
“This year’s global theme, ‘Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,’ is not mere rhetoric,” Bankole said.
“It echoes the Doha Political Declaration and reminds us that no nation can achieve sustainable development while leaving over 35 million of its citizens behind.”, Bankole added
He highlighted persistent barriers including inaccessible public buildings, lack of sign-language interpreters in government functions, denial of employment opportunities, and the near-total absence of disability desks in most ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) seven years after the Act was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bankole specifically called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the immediate establishment and funding of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities as stipulated in Section 31 of the Act, noting that the commission remains under-resourced and unable to effectively monitor compliance nationwide.
“Political will, not speeches, is what we need now,” he stressed.
According to him, “State governments must domesticate the law without further delay, while the Federal Government should enforce the five-year transitional period for accessibility that expired in January 2024.”
The APC disability leader commended cluster groups within the PWD community for their resilience and urged party leaders at all levels to prioritize disability inclusion in the 2027 manifesto and candidate selection processes.
The 2025 IDPD is being marked globally under the auspices of the United Nations with events across Nigeria focusing on digital accessibility, inclusive education, and economic empowerment for persons with disabilities.
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