The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called for stronger inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria’s crime prevention and security strategies, warning that their exclusion undermines effective responses to transnational organised crime.
The call was made at a Stakeholder Dialogue on Crime Prevention and Transnational Threats held at the UN House in Abuja, as part of activities marking the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
In his opening remarks, the UNODC Deputy Representative, Mr. Danilo Campisi, stressed that disability inclusion must go beyond symbolic recognition and become a core element of policy design, data collection and implementation. He described inclusive governance as both a human right and a prerequisite for sustainable development and effective security frameworks.
The dialogue brought together representatives of government ministries, disability-focused institutions, civil society organisations, international partners and the UN system. Participants included officials from the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, disability rights organisations, and associations representing persons with hearing and visual impairments.
Campisi highlighted UNODC’s ongoing efforts to advance disability inclusion in Nigeria, including a disability inclusion workshop held in December 2024 for UN staff and national partners, as well as sustained outreach to disability organisations to improve awareness of drug- and crime-related risks.
Addressing the growing threat of transnational organised crime, he noted that Nigeria continues to face challenges from drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime and arms smuggling. However, he said the impact of these crimes is uneven, with persons with disabilities disproportionately affected.
Citing the UN Disability and Development Report 2024, Campisi disclosed that about 87 per cent of persons with disabilities in Nigeria live in multidimensional poverty, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation, recruitment and victimisation by organised criminal networks. Despite this, he said their lived experiences are often absent from crime prevention policies and national security discussions.
He described the stakeholder dialogue as a critical step towards closing this gap, noting that through its Global Programme on Implementing the Organized Crime Convention (GLOTOC), UNODC supports countries to develop inclusive national strategies aligned with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). He added that the agency has developed toolkits to help governments mainstream gender, human rights and disability inclusion into crime prevention efforts.
Participants were informed that contributions from persons with disabilities and their representative organisations would directly shape Nigeria’s emerging national strategy against organised crime, including its objectives, implementation framework and monitoring mechanisms.
Campisi emphasised that effective security policies require listening to those most affected by crime, urging policymakers to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are embedded in national responses as a matter of justice and effectiveness.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, said the dialogue was timely and aligned with the 2025 IDPD theme, “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.” He noted that true social progress, he said, is impossible without deliberate protection of the most vulnerable.
He further observed that persons with disabilities—particularly women, girls and children—are disproportionately affected by organised crime due to physical, social and institutional barriers that expose them to exploitation and violence.
Stakeholders at the meeting expressed optimism that sustained engagement and inclusive policymaking would strengthen Nigeria’s response to organised crime while safeguarding the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, in line with the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, Nigeria’s Disability Act of 2018 and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.
