The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities and the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria have called on the Ogun State Government to fully implement the state's Disability Law, nearly nine years after it was signed into law. The groups made the demand at a joint press briefing held on Wednesday at the NUJ Hall, Iwe Iroyin House, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta. They urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to provide the political direction required to conclude the implementation process before the expiration of his tenure in eight months.
The Ogun State Disability Law was signed by the former governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on December 27, 2017. However, the law has yet to be fully operationalised, leaving persons with disabilities waiting for the legal framework to translate into functioning institutions, enforceable protections and accessible public systems. The National President of SCIAN, Abdulwahab Matepo, and the Chairman of JONAPWD, Ogun State chapter, Ayo Awobona, made the call during the joint briefing.
According to the groups, the disability community had engaged the state government and other stakeholders through meetings, consultations, letters, courtesy visits and media advocacy since 2025 in an effort to resolve issues surrounding the implementation of the law, without any success recorded. They stressed that their campaign was not intended to confront the state government but to ensure that commitments were translated into concrete action.
The groups said discussions about possible amendments to the law should not be allowed to indefinitely delay its implementation. They advocated the operationalisation of the existing law in accordance with applicable legal procedures while any necessary amendments were pursued through the appropriate legislative process. This would enable the government and the disability community to address implementation and possible improvements to the legal framework simultaneously.
The organisations said non-implementation had practical consequences for persons with disabilities, particularly in education, healthcare, transportation, employment, economic participation and political engagement. They also called for accessible public institutions and mechanisms through which the rights of persons with disabilities could be protected and government obligations monitored.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 16 per cent of the global population experienced significant disability. A 2025 JONAPWD “Assumptive Data of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria” estimated that 1,032,221 persons were living with disabilities in Ogun State, based on a 15 per cent benchmark applied to the National Population Commission’s 2025 population projection.
Matepo said JONAPWD and SCIAN recognise government as an essential partner in achieving disability inclusion and are ready to provide technical input, participate in consultations, review proposed amendments, mobilise the disability community and work constructively with government. He called on Governor Abiodun to provide the necessary political direction to ensure that the process of implementing the Ogun State Disability Law is concluded before the expiration of his term in office.
Key points
- The Ogun State Disability Law was signed in 2017 but has yet to be fully implemented.
- The disability community has engaged the state government through various means since 2025 without success.
- Non-implementation of the law has practical consequences for persons with disabilities in education, healthcare, and other areas.
