The European Union (EU) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have called for urgent reforms to enforce disability rights and improve access to essential services for persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
Speaking at a consultative meeting in Abuja on Monday, EU representative Winfred Achu expressed concern over the inaccessibility of banking services for more than 35,000 persons with disabilities. She cited poorly designed bank entrances and facilities that hinder wheelchair users and others with mobility challenges.
Achu stressed that while Nigeria has enacted a disability law, awareness and enforcement remain weak, even within government agencies. She urged the government to fully domesticate and implement the African Disability Protocol (ADP), warning that signing alone is not enough.
NHRC Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, also emphasized the need for concrete policies to combat discrimination, describing disability inclusion as a shared responsibility of government, civil society, and development partners.
The meeting also marked the inauguration of a Disability Inclusion Technical Working Group to drive the implementation of the ADP and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
Ojukwu pledged NHRC’s commitment to advancing human rights for all Nigerians, while the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Chief Ayuba Gufwan, called for full enforcement of the 2018 Act and a more inclusive society.
