As the world commemorates the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has renewed its call for stronger national commitment to disability inclusion as a driver of real social progress.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Acting Director of CCD, Mr. Godwin Unumeri, said this year’s IDPD theme — “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress” — aligns with the organisation’s long-standing advocacy for deeper participation, empowerment, and recognition of persons with disabilities across all sectors.
Unumeri noted that despite Nigeria’s adoption of global and national frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, many citizens with disabilities continue to face barriers to education, employment, healthcare, social protection, and public participation.
“These challenges are compounded by exclusion from leadership positions, political processes, and governance platforms where policies affecting their lives are shaped,” he said.
Calling for urgent and deliberate reforms, CCD stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve genuine social and economic progress while millions of persons with disabilities remain marginalised. The organisation emphasised that the Sustainable Development Goals — particularly Goals 4, 8, 10, 11 and 17 — cannot be met without disability inclusion at the centre of national planning.
The organisation outlined key priority actions for government, the private sector, development partners, and civil society. These include mainstreaming disability inclusion across all policies, guaranteeing access to inclusive education, expanding economic opportunities, and promoting disability leadership in political and decision-making spaces.
CCD also urged authorities to invest in accessible public infrastructure, transportation systems, and communication channels, stressing that accessibility “is not a privilege but a necessity for equal participation.” It further called for greater involvement of persons with disabilities in climate action, agriculture, environmental management, and other sustainable development programmes.
“As we mark the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we must work collectively to build a society where every individual — regardless of disability — can thrive, contribute, and realise their full potential,” Unumeri urged.
He reaffirmed CCD’s commitment to promoting dignity, equality, and full inclusion, and called on all stakeholders to act with renewed urgency in advancing the rights and well-being of Nigerians with disabilities.
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