Less than one percent of Nigeria’s over 35 million persons living with disabilities (PWDs) are employed in professional roles, a disability rights advocate, Olusola Adeyefa, has revealed.
Adeyefa, the Co-Founder of the Ability Impact Centre, disclosed this during a programme on Channels Television, where he decried the widespread exclusion of PWDs from the labour market due to structural, attitudinal, and educational barriers.
According to him, the root of the problem lies in the unaffordability and inaccessibility of quality education for most PWDs, making it difficult for them to compete in the professional space.
> “Realistically, we have less than one percent of even that 35 million population that are truly professionals. Access to good education is a major challenge—it’s tough and expensive,” said Adeyefa, who became physically challenged after a road crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at age 18.
He narrated his personal struggle through university, citing the architectural and attitudinal hurdles he faced at Obafemi Awolowo University.
Beyond education, he lamented the persistent nepotism and discrimination that limit employment opportunities for PWDs, despite existing disability laws in some states.
> “The number of privileged PWDs is still very small. Even when some of us make it, we must fight for others—show them how and pave the way for wider inclusion,” he added.
Adeyefa referenced the 2024 State of Disability Inclusion Report, noting that while some states have established agencies to enforce disability rights laws, many of these institutions are underfunded and poorly functional.
He called for urgent government intervention to strengthen the implementation of disability laws and provide better funding for inclusion initiatives.
The revelation comes despite recent efforts such as the ₦50 million grant announced by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to support PWDs.
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