Ayomide Awe
Persons with disabilities across the South-West have demanded the full implementation of disability laws, increased funding and the adoption of a comprehensive national policy, warning that political exclusion of PWDs could become a major issue in the 2027 general elections.
The demand was made on Saturday at the South-West Zonal Summit of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities held at Mokland Hotel, Oke-Sanari, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The summit, themed “Institutionalising Inclusion: Aligning Regional Priorities with the National Disability Agenda,” brought together JONAPWD leaders, state representatives, government officials and disability rights advocates from across the region.
Participants used the forum to assess the implementation of disability laws in the six South-West states and identify gaps hindering the full participation of PWDs in governance and development.
The National President of JONAPWD, Comrade Abdullahi Usman Aliyu, said the summit was designed to address challenges confronting persons with disabilities, particularly at the grassroots.
Aliyu urged delegates to focus on practical solutions that would improve the lives of PWDs and strengthen the zone ahead of the association’s national convention scheduled for October 2026.
“I look at the grassroots of PWDs. We have a lot of them who need our support.
“The South-West is the largest national advocates’ leaders. I see no reason why the South-West should not do the right thing,” he said.
Representatives of the states presented varying accounts of their governments’ efforts to promote disability inclusion.
The Ekiti State delegation said the government had been implementing a five per cent employment provision for PWDs and had established disability agencies.
The Lagos representative also claimed that the state had made significant progress in improving the welfare and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
In Ogun State, the delegation disclosed that the association recently experienced a change in leadership and had commenced advocacy, in collaboration with SCIAN, for the implementation of the state’s disability law.
The Osun delegation said persons with disabilities in the state had begun benefiting from the implementation of its disability legislation.
According to the delegation, a special secondary school had received new hostel facilities, while the state government had approved five plots of land within the secretariat for PWD-related development, with implementation expected to feature in the 2027 budget.
It added that nurses had also been allocated to special schools following engagements with the state’s health and education authorities.
The Osun delegation further disclosed that the state’s disability rights law was approved on June 24, 2024, while the state agency for PWDs was established on January 1, 2025.
The Ondo State representative said the state had four functional special schools catering for students with visual, hearing, physical and intellectual challenges.
The state, he added, provides scholarships and bursaries to PWDs in tertiary institutions.
However, Ondo raised concerns over inadequate funding, saying the state had been unable to access its five per cent allocation for disability-related programmes in 2024.
“The issue of fund release is what we’re facing. We were not able to receive five per cent of allocation in 2024. We protested and the Governor said he didn’t receive any letter from us and he challenged the Chairman,” the representative said.
Oyo State was conspicuously absent from the summit. Organisers attributed its absence to alleged non-compliance with the JONAPWD constitution.
The keynote speaker, Comrade Gbenga Gbesan, called on the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive national policy on persons with disabilities that would bring the private sector into the disability inclusion agenda.
Gbesan also proposed an annual scientific ranking of states based on their performance in promoting the rights and welfare of PWDs.
He said such a ranking would encourage healthy competition among states and provide measurable evidence of progress.
Gbesan noted that five of the six South-West states had completed procedures relating to disability laws, but expressed concern over gaps in recognition and implementation.
He also urged stronger unity and collaboration within JONAPWD to enable the association to pursue its demands more effectively.
The South-West Zonal Coordinator of JONAPWD, Rotarian Joseph Bulugbe, Esq., described the summit as an opportunity for members to review their progress and renew their commitment to disability inclusion.
Bulugbe, who is completing his second term as zonal coordinator, appealed to the Ogun State Government to commence full implementation of its disability law without further delay.
“The time for implementation is now, and we look forward to seeing Ogun State join other states in the region in translating legislative commitments into tangible action for persons with disabilities,” he said.
He said the South-West zone had enjoyed peace, stability and unity during his tenure, urging the incoming leadership to preserve the gains.
The summit also turned attention to the 2027 elections, with participants stressing the need for greater participation of PWDs in politics, elections and governance.
The Executive Secretary of the Osun State Bureau for Persons with Disabilities, Rotarian Ayobami Oyewunmi Oyetunde, acknowledged the support of PWDs during the last election and called for other states to replicate Osun’s inclusion model.
He said, “We want inclusion of PWD to be in Ogun State as it is in Osun State.”
Representing the Permanent Secretary and Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Funminiyi assured persons with disabilities that the Ogun State Government would continue to take steps to improve their welfare.
She urged PWDs not to allow social barriers to undermine their confidence and participation in society.
The Executive Director of the Special Initiative for the Specially Abled Persons, SISAP, Barrister Oluwasesan Joseph, said the organisation was established to support persons with disabilities.
He promised that PWDs would remain at the forefront of SISAP’s agenda and disclosed that similar programmes would be extended to other regions.
The summit resolved to deepen advocacy for disability law implementation, improve funding, strengthen collaboration among disability groups and ensure that persons with disabilities are adequately represented in governance.
Participants also agreed to make the 2027 elections a major platform for demanding political inclusion and accountability from political parties and candidates.
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