Disability in Nigeria

Nigeria ramps up efforts to improve accessibility of sustainable spaces. (2023, EnviroNews Nigeria)

Lagos: Life with a disability in the African megacity (2022, Aljazeera)

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Impact

Spaces of Exclusion and Neglect: The Impact of COVID-19 on People With Disabilities in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uganda. (2023, Space and Culture)

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Response

Creating a more inclusive and more accessible society for a sustainable disability community in a post-COVID-19 world (2022, Pulse NG)

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Nigerian church makes deaf people feel welcome (Short documentary video, without access features, Apr, DW)

From Isolation to Advocacy. Nigeria’s DeafBlind Community Organizes for Change. (Mar, Disability Justice Project)

Three Indicted for Conspiracy to Launder Over $1 Million from Online Fraud Scams (2024, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia) The three were Deaf people and part of the Deaf community, and one of them, Chidi Olujie, was President of the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD).

‘They wanted her to confess to witchcraft’: ending the chilling effects of dementia stigma. (2024, the Guardian)

Schisms in the Church A Debrief feature on the disconnect faced by deaf worshippers in Nigeria:

“This piece explores the challenges of deaf persons in the church. It draws from my own life and the experiences of other deaf folks, most of them close friends and acquaintances I met within the deaf community. We often talk about what causes our disconnection in church. We are treated as after-thoughts, objects of charity, sub-par humans, or needing healing. But we know we are much more.” (2024, Disability Debrief)

Para Athletes protest “against unpaid allowances and unemployment in the state.” (2024, Inclusive News Network)

Persons With Disability Protest Over Diversion Of Rice and Cash supports (2023, Cross River Watch)

Persons with disabilities protest non-inclusion in Delta employment (2023, Daily Post)

Foursquare Church: walking the disability inclusion talk

“It is a challenge to the church. One asks: Does the church recognize that “all things” implied in Romans 8:28 includes Disability? And if she does, the very salient question arises: what measures are in place to show it? How far have we studied to show ourselves approved in this matter? How well are we dividing the word of Truth? How well are we embracing Disability inclusion in our churches?” (2023, Church Times)

A Closely Knitted Community Creating Safe Space for Deaf Persons in Lagos (Video feature, 2023, BO News Service)

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Stakeholders Canvass Inclusion Of Women With Disabilities In Climate Change Policies (2024, News Agency of Nigeria)

Narrative Change Around Disability & Climate Change: Insights and Recommendations from Stakeholders and Community Members in the Niger Delta (2023)

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Overview

Book Famine: How policies in Nigeria limit visually impaired persons’ access to books. (2023, Premium Times)

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Sign Languages

More Than Words: The Power and Politics of Native Sign Language in Nigeria:

“Unfortunately, with all their immense possibilities, native sign language variants have not received the kind of recognition and intellectual inquiry they deserve. But this, as findings show, isn’t a uniquely Nigerian situation. It permeates Deaf communities across the globe.” (Jan, Disability Justice Project)

Deaf community battles exclusion and points to gaps in use and support of sign language. (2024, Punch)

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Overview

Young Nigerian Artist with Autism Breaks World Record Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke “broken the Guinness World Record for the largest individual painting on canvas—an awe-inspiring masterpiece spanning 12,303 square metres.” (Apr, Inclusive News Network)

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Media

TheCable unveils Nigeria's first disability inclusive news application with assistive features to help access the news. (2023, TheCable)

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Exploring demographic and health survey data (2023, Disability Data Initiative)

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In northern Nigeria, floods impact disabled people most (Feb, PreventionWeb)

Flood: Farmers with Disabilities Receive Support In Anambra “The International Organization for Migration has provided support to farmers with disabilities in flood-affected areas of Anambra, offering credit cards with 30,000 naira [33 USD] each.” (2023, Inclusive News Networks)

A Bleak Future Awaits Abuja’s Disabled Community After Fire Incident
(2022, HumAngle)

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Overview

Visually Impaired Beggars in Nigeria’s Capital Suffer in the City’s Attempt to Hide the Poor:

“Where do they want us to go?” she asked. “I’ll gladly stop begging if I get some support to start a little business in the comfort of my hut. But I can never go back home because it’s not peaceful.” (2024, HumAngle)

Multidimensional Measures and the Extra Costs of Disability: How Are They Related? Exploring whether multidimensional poverty measures can be used to study the extra costs of disability. (2023, IJERPH)

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Financial Inclusion

Trapped in digital dark: How Nigeria’s financial system fails persons with disabilities. (2024, Vanguard)

Gaining respect and financial stability: stories from Nigerian women. Village Savings and Loans Associations to help women set up their own businesses and cover expenses. (2021, CBM)

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Social Protection

Struggles to register for National Identification Number (Jan, Sahara Reporters)

Only 4,500 out of 35.1m PWDs in Nigeria officially registered (2023, News Digest)

Nigerian govt dedicates 10% social interventions to PwDs (2023, Daily Nigerian)

In a leprosy colony residents endure stigma and neglect. “There are 64 leprosy settlements across Nigeria but most are in varying states of disrepair with little to no funding.” The article describes how conditions have deteriorated in one colony since the missionaries who founded the colony then left, but people have remained, and new support is not sufficient. (2022, Aljazeera)

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Overview

Girls with Disability Suffer, Rejected in Lagos Special Schools a detailed look at a lack of accessible and hygienic toilets and hygiene facilities. (2024, This Day)

Inclusive Education celebrating an amazing partnership & lasting impact (2022, CBM UK)

Translating Human Rights in Education: The Influence of Article 24 UN CRPD Comparing the meanings of inclusive education in Nigeria and Germany, and how the development of inclusive education has depended on “institutionalized special education” rather than a rights-based approach. (2022, University of Michigan Press)

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Higher Education

Accessibility Report of Facilities for Persons with Disabilities in Nigerian Tertiary Education Institutions. (Apr, Center for Disability and Inclusion Africa)

Inclusion or Exclusion? Vignettes of Students With Disabilities in Nigerian Higher Institutions. (2024, Foundation for Investigative Journalism)

The importance of inclusive rhetoric interview with Sunday A. Adegbenro, whose work explores what universities and other institutions can do to implement inclusive practices. (2024, Vanguard)

UK to award Chevening scholarships to PWDs in Nigeria (2023, The Cable)

On Institutional Cultures: How Inclusive are Nigerian Universities? (2023, BONews)

Disability exclusion in Nigeria’s Students Loans Act (2023, Nigerian Tribune)

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Digital skills for people who are blind. “A software engineer in Nigeria is teaching digital skills to people who are blind or have low vision.” (Short video feature, Apr, DW)

Deaf Nigerians Are Learning to Code Through Sign Language “Though Nigeria’s tech industry is booming, job opportunities for people with disabilities remain scarce. Deaf-in-Tech aims to change that.” (Apr, Reasons to be Cheerful)

Decent work inaccessible to most workers with disabilities: a survey of 600 workers with disabilities. “Most of the 660 workers surveyed are self-employed and in the informal sector. Almost half of respondents earn less than Nigeria’s minimum wage and say their work environment is not accommodating to their disability.” (2023, Solidarity Center)

Inside the lives of professionals living with invisible disabilities in Nigerian workplaces. (2023, Techpoint)

Documentary released on women living with disabilities in mining communities (2022, Guardian Nigeria)

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I’m Changing the Status Quo For Women With Disabilities profile of Lois Auta and the Network of Women With Disabilities. “I always emphasise three types of barriers stopping women with disabilities. Attitudinal, infrastructural and institutional.” (2024, New Telegraph)

Assessing impact of Disability Act on Nigerian women (2022, BluePrint)

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Overview

Primary Health Systems Fail to Serve People with Disabilities. From Nigeria to Kenya. (Mar, Nigeria Health Watch)

Report on barriers to healthcare access for Deaf Nigerian Women and Girls during Emergencies. (2022, WFD)

Healthcare Services Should be Inclusive of Persons with Disabilities: Here is How. (2022, Nigeria Health Watch)

Albinism group calls for reinstatement of free skin cancer treatment. (2022, Radio Nigeria)

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Food Security and Nutrition

Redesigning Nutrition Services for People with Disability in Nigeria, an op-ed. (2024, Relief Web)

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Demise of Danlami Bashir “Danlami will be remembered as one of the great leaders of the disability movement in Africa and in his country of Nigeria, where he was promoting the rights of people with disabilities, especially focusing on blind and deaf communities.” (2023, IDA)

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Displaced People with Disabilities Face Severe Struggles in Borno Camps. (Apr, HumAngle)

Stories of being disabled and displaced from Sokoto and Zamfara. (2022, ICIR Nigeria)

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Conditions in Institutions

The Neglect and Death of a Young Woman.

“Hauwa's story is tragically emblematic. Over the years, I've met hundreds of other people with disabilities and mental health conditions in Nigeria who, without access to any affordable services in the community, ended up in traditional healing centers, Christian and Islamic faith-based facilities, or state-run rehabilitation centers where they were often neglected.” (Jan, AllAfrica)

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Overview

The Door Shuts on Inclusive Education: Lost Hope for Children with Disabilities in Northeast Nigeria. (Feb, Inclusive Development Partners)

Building a Movement for Inclusive Nigeria: Highlights of DRF's Grantee Convening. (2022, Disability Rights Fund)

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Global Disability Summit

Nigeria Sets Strategic Agenda for the 2025 Global Disability Summit. (Feb, Federal Ministry of Information & National Orientation)

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Olakulehin Dami – A Lifelong Journey of Finding Purpose in Disability. (May, BONews Service)

Profile of Pelemo Ava Nyajo and how she is pushing for change on social media. (Feb, HumAngle)

Nnene’s Story of Climate Change and Social Challenges an illustrated story:

“One sunny day on October 1st, her peers, seven to ten years old, planned to go to the stadium to partake in the Independence Day Celebrations. This time, Nnene decided to sneak out to watch the Independence Day march without any sun-protective gear such as long-sleeved clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. The young, curious, and patriotic Nnene suffered severe sunburns that left her in agony for months. It was at this precise moment that she was confronted, as a child, with the harsh reality of living with albinism and the true reasons for her parents’ protection against the sun.” (2024, Africa Albinism Network)

How living with albinism feels different when you stay in Nigeria vs UK. (2024, Pulse Nigeria)

Esther Suubi, Triumphing Psychosocial Disability. An interview by Debrief contributor Alexander Ogheneruemu, exploring Esther's life story:

“In primary school, I was bullied – which worsened my psychosocial disability. In high school there was so much discrimination – pushing me into the introversion I find myself today. My medication was causing me to gain weight which made me really uncomfortable with the snide remarks from people. I had to change schools after four years to complete the remaining two years of high school for no other reason than to be in an environment where people hardly knew who I was.” (2024, BONews)

Interview with Olawale Alade Olawale Alade is a Nigerian Deaf nurse in the United Kingdom where he attends to Deaf adults with varying degrees of mental health challenges. (2023, BO News)

From telecoms engineer to disability advocate: interview with Dolapo Agbede (2023, Techpoint)

How discrimination affects Albinos freedom. (2023, Radio Nigeria)

It’s The Little Things: stories and life experience of people with visual impairments. (2022, Unbias the News)

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Air Travel

How Green Africa Airline violates Olanrewaju, person with disability’s right to fly (2024, Nigeria Grassroot News)

When Disability Meets Privilege “Authorities in Nigeria squander an opportunity to make a statement about human dignity and genuine social inclusion.” (2024, Council on Foreign Relations)

Nigerian airports still a nightmare for people with disabilities (2023, TheCable)

Mainstream Disability Inclusion In Aviation Policies (2023, Independent NG)

We shall picket airports plans to protest against lack of access in airports and airlines. (2022, Vanguard NGR)

Calls Mount For Nigerian Airports To Be Made More Accessible (2022, Simple Flying)

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Alternative Report on the Human Rights situations of Persons with albinism. (Feb, Africa Albinism Network)

The Stories of Discrimination Against Persons With Disability in Nigeria (2024, HumAngle)

Nigerians with disabilities experience discrimination despite existing laws A wide-ranging look at areas of discrimination in Lagos State. (2024, Premium Times)

Stakeholders Hail Signing Of African Disability Protocol (2023, Heritage Times)

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

10% of social investment programmes will be set aside for inclusion of persons with disabilities, declares the minister of social development. (2022, The Cable)

The House of Representatives passes a bill prohibiting discrimination against persons with disability (2022, Nigerian Tribune)

Nigerian Disability Rights Acts: 3 years after Prospects and challenges (2022, Pulse NG)

Lagos Govt Reiterates Commitment to People with Disabilities "with the launch of comic books aimed at promoting a friendly platform for disability inclusion." (2021, This Day)

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“[Voters] feel we are not worth it... that a [person with albinism] cannot deliver anything”. (Mar, Minority Africa)

Federal Government to establish disability desks across Ministries, Departments and Agencies. (2023, The Guardian)

CEAMI Initiative Launches GoVote Campaign For People With Disabilities In Nigeria’s Elections (2023, Inclusive News Network)

I Voted: Benedicta Oyèdayọ̀ Oyèwọlé Documents the Challenges Nigerians with Disabilities Faced Voting in February’s Elections. (2023, Disability Justice Project)

Physically-challenged persons lament hostile environment, discrimination against political dreams. (2023, Punch)

INEC and the Police assure people living with disability of safety. “In the unfortunate incidence or occurrence of electoral violence, threat or intimidation, the PWDs are unfortunately the most vulnerable groups that may be most adversely affected. Hence, most of them shy away from the polls to safeguard themselves,” (2023, Punch)

A young person with disabilitiy and first time voter documents their experience on polling day with text and photos. (2023, Oyedayo, Twitter)

How blind people are frustrated by INEC’s failure to provide Braille ballot. “For over 10 years, I have been voting. My son does help me. But you know I can’t trust him because he may have a different choice from what I asked him to do for me.” (2023, Informant 24/7)

Nigerians with disabilities seek inclusion in electoral process. (2022, Aljazeera)

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People with my condition can enjoy sexual life – Father of two with cerebral palsy. (May, Punch)

Sex and disability: Nigerian women share their stories. (May, The Conversation)

Tackling discrimination through design: “Communication materials relating to sexual and reproductive health don’t usually acknowledge the lives of people with disabilities or answer questions they might have.” (2023, Inclusive Futures)

‘You Can’t Legislate Attitudes’ Discussion on the Deterioration of Rights for Queer and Disabled Nigerians (2022, Disability Justice Project)

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‘He Knew’: People With Disabilities Are More Vulnerable To Sexual Abuse. A story of Ifeoma and how the impacts “impacts of her encounter with an abuser are still visible in her life, decades after the incident took place.” (2023, HumAngle)

Failure to Protect: Disabilities and Gender-Based Violence In Nigeria. (2022, Minority Africa)

How organisations of persons with disabilities are keeping people safe. Among disability organizations ”there is limited understanding of key concepts of safeguarding, why they are important, and what needs to be in place to operationalise these concepts to keep people safe” (2022, RSH)

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Accessible Sanitation in the Workplace Important Considerations for Disability-Inclusive Employment in Nigeria and Bangladesh (2022, IDS)

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