Ogun PWDs Demand Immediate Activation of Disability Commission, Budget Inclusion

Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs) in Ogun State have issued a firm demand for the immediate creation, staffing, and activation of a fully functional State Disability Commission to end years of exclusion and neglect.

Dependable NG reports that the demand was made at a press conference organized by leaders of various disability clusters, held at the NUJ Secretariat, Iwe-Iroyin, Abeokuta, on Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of the Ogun State Disability Community, Abdulwahab Matepo, the Interim National President of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN), lamented the long duration of exclusion faced by the community due to government inaction. Matepo stressed that the Commission must be funded, staffed, and operationalized, and called for the inclusion of a dedicated budget line for Disability Affairs in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

He noted that despite a comprehensive review workshop held in January 2025 which highlighted major gaps in the 2017 state law, the government had yet to make amendments or adopt the recommendations. Matepo outlined four non-negotiable demands to the Government of Ogun State:

The first demand is the urgent re-enactment and gazetting of the Disability Law, stating that the law must be amended to align with global standards, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The second demand is the immediate establishment and activation of the Ogun State Disability Commission, insisting that the commission must be legally constituted, funded, staffed, and operationalized, as “without a functional Commission, every other promise is empty.”

The third demand calls for the inclusion of a dedicated budget line for Disability Affairs in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, arguing that this funding must be clear, visible, and protected, as “without funding, disability inclusion will remain rhetoric.” The final demand requires the practical enforcement of accessibility standards and compliance, meaning all public facilities, new constructions, and renovated buildings must meet accessibility requirements, as “Accessibility is dignity; it is not optional.”

The PWDs maintained that they are asking for their rights, justice, respect, and inclusion, not sympathy, tokenism, or charity. They expressed hope that their demands would be met, urging Governor Dapo Abiodun to become the first Ogun State Governor to fully implement disability rights in reality, not just on paper.