By joshua 
ADE-BADA FOUNDATION CALLS FOR NATIONAL ATTITUDINAL RESET ON DISABILITY INCLUSION IN KOGI
… Stakeholders demand full enforcement of 2018 Disability Act, N50bn funding for Commission at 2nd Biennial Lecture
Stakeholders from government, academia, civil society, and the disability community have called for a nationwide attitudinal shift toward Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), warning that systemic exclusion is costing Nigeria up to 7% of its Gross Domestic Product annually.
The call was made at the end of the 2nd Biennial Lecture of the Ade-Bada Foundation International held at the NUJ Secretariat in Lokoja, Kogi State, under the theme “United for Ability Changing the Disability Narrative” with the sub-theme “Reimagining Inclusion and Changing the Paradigm: A Call for Attitudinal Reset.”
Delivering the keynote lecture, Prof. J.J. Orugun, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, said Nigeria must move from a charity-based approach to disability to one rooted in strategy and empowerment.
Participants observed that more than 27 million Nigerians, about 15% of the population, live with some form of disability yet remain largely excluded from education, employment, and public life. They noted that about 7 million children with disabilities are currently out of school, with 95% denied access to formal education.
The communique also highlighted that only 1.2% of PWDs hold formal employment compared to 40% of the able-bodied population, despite evidence that inclusive societies record higher productivity and innovation.
While commending the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018, participants said implementation has been weak due to cultural stigma and misconceptions that still frame disability as a spiritual curse or burden.
To address the gaps, the forum resolved that government at all levels must fully enforce the 2018 Act, including the mandatory 5% employment quota for PWDs in public service, with sanctions for non-compliance and incentives for compliance.
It also recommended that the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities be adequately funded with an annual budget of at least N50 billion to strengthen monitoring and implementation.
Other resolutions include the adoption of universal design principles for all public buildings, prioritization of inclusive education through braille materials and sign language interpreters, and the establishment of vocational training hubs to equip PWDs with marketable skills.
The forum further urged the private sector to adopt inclusive hiring practices and called for investment in assistive technologies such as AI screen readers and affordable prosthetics, with tax incentives for firms that develop inclusive solutions.
Participants urged Nigerians to abandon exclusion as a tradition and embrace inclusion as a strategic investment in national development.
“The time has come to recognize ability as a shared human currency and to build a society where every person, regardless of physical condition, has the opportunity to thrive,” the communique stated.
The lecture concluded with a reaffirmation that “disability is not inability,” and that Nigeria’s strength lies in harnessing the diverse talents of all its citizens.