Fellow Nigerians with Disabilities,

Brothers and Sisters across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT,

Today, as our beloved country marks the 65th anniversary of its Independence, I bring you warm greetings, unwavering solidarity, and renewed hope on behalf of the entire disability community. I also come bearing a reflective message on the National Broadcast by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, delivered earlier today on this historic occasion.

President Tinubu’s message spoke of our shared journey as a nation from colonial rule to sovereignty, from turmoil to triumph. He reminded us of the courage of our founding fathers and the economic and structural reforms now underway to reposition Nigeria. Indeed, there is tangible national progress in certain areas: reforms in fiscal policy, a growing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reduced inflation, expansion in education, and massive investments in infrastructure and youth development.

However, as the President of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria, I must echo what millions of our community members feel across the country today: The progress that was highlighted does not yet reflect in our lived realities!

Where Are Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria of Today?

While we join in celebrating Nigeria’s endurance and potential, we must also speak the truth of our existence. For us, the over 30 million Nigerians with disabilities, the gains of Independence remain largely symbolic if not matched with inclusive action and equitable representation.

The President rightly noted the rise in the number of schools and tertiary institutions  from just two universities at independence to over 270 today. But accessibility remains a major barrier. These learning environments, whether old or newly built, often lack ramps, signage, learning aids, and inclusive curricula for those with visual, hearing, physical, psychosocial, or intellectual disabilities.

This is not just an oversight; it is a systemic exclusion. It denies our youth the education they need to thrive. It prevents us from contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

A Youthful Nation, But Not for All Youth

The President emphasized Nigeria’s youthful population and the several initiatives rolled out to empower young Nigerians, including NELFUND, YouthCred, and Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme (iDICE). These are commendable, but youth with disabilities continue to face deeper structural barriers in accessing these opportunities.

Our young people are confronted with: Educational bias and discrimination, including the assumption that people with disabilities cannot learn or lead; Lack of vocational training centres that are inclusive and equipped with accessible technologies; Discrimination in employment, both in the public and private sectors; Exclusion from mainstream entrepreneurship programs, even when these are publicly funded and many others.

If we must move from rhetoric to reality, then these initiatives must include tailored provisions for youth with disabilities, so that we too can become real economic actors, innovators, employers, and wealth creators in the Nigerian economy.

The Disability Economy: A Call for Social Protection and Targeted Investments

President Tinubu noted with pride that Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23% in Q2 2025, with reduced inflation and increased non-oil revenue. Yet, economic indicators alone do not define wellbeing,  especially for those of us who face disability-related costs daily.

Whether it is the cost of assistive devices, personal care, transportation, communication, therapy, or mobility, Nigerians with disabilities spend more to survive and participate particularly those in hard-to-reach rural communities or with severe impairments.

Therefore, we reiterate: economic growth must reflect in targeted social protection benefits. Growth must come with: Disability-inclusive cash transfer systems; Health insurance that covers disability-related needs; Accessible transport and housing infrastructure; Disaggregated data collection to guide disability spending and similar needs

The Budget Begins Now — Remember the Law

As Nigeria prepares for another fiscal year, we call on all government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), from the Presidency to Local Governments, to adhere to the provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018. This law is not aspirational; it is binding. It mandates:

• Minimum of 5% budgetary allocation for persons with disabilities
• Accessibility standards in all public buildings
• Employment quotas and affirmative action for eligible persons with disabilities
• Strengthening of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD)

The time for tokenism is over. Inclusion must be visible in budget lines, procurement processes, programme designs, and monitoring systems.

Our Security, Our Safety

President Tinubu lauded the efforts of security personnel and the restoration of peace in parts of Nigeria. We are grateful. Yet, it is vital to recognize that during times of conflict, persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected. We are the last to flee, the hardest to rescue, and the easiest to forget in displacement camps.

We call for: Disability-inclusive humanitarian responses; Protection of women and girls with disabilities from gender-based violence; and the Recognition of persons with disabilities as stakeholders in peacebuilding and conflict recovery efforts.

A New Nigeria Must Include All Nigerians

On this 65th Independence Anniversary, I call on all Nigerians, leaders, communities, families, and institutions, to re-imagine a Nigeria where disability is not a sentence to poverty or exclusion, but a dimension of our shared humanity.

Let us:

• Build schools that welcome every child
• Design roads, railways, and housing with universal access in mind
• Employ based on competence, not on ability
• Fund disability-focused Small Medium Enterprises and cooperatives
• Remove every stigma that keeps our people in silence and invisibility

We, persons with disabilities, are not a burden to the Nigerian state. We are: Voters, Professionals, Parents, Teachers, Creators, Innovators, Citizens and human beings whose rights must be equally respected.

We are ready to do our part in building a Nigeria that is inclusive, prosperous, and united but we cannot do it alone.

Let this Independence Day mark the beginning of true inclusive nation-building. Let policies translate into protection. Let promises become programs. Let our rights be realities.

May the Renewed Hope Agenda be genuinely renewed for all Nigerians, including those of us whose abilities may differ, but whose hopes are just as high.

Happy 65th Independence Anniversary, Nigeria.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
God bless Nigerians with Disabilities.

Signed:
Abdullahi Usman Aliyu
National President, JONAPWD
October 1, 2025
Abuja, Nigeria