The OjayAjaifia Foundation for Children with Disabilities (OFCD) has warned that systemic neglect and weak policies continue to deny millions of Nigerian children with disabilities access to education, healthcare, and equal opportunities.
Founder and Executive Director, Orjiugo Gwueke Ajaifia, raised this concern in Abuja during the Foundation’s pre-launch engagement themed “Empowering Children With Disabilities: From Vision to Action.”
Ajaifia noted that children with disabilities remain among the most marginalised groups in Nigeria due to poor data systems, underfunded social services, and entrenched societal stigma. She urged the government to move from promises to concrete reforms that guarantee their rights.
“Disability is not inability. What these children need is deliberate, systemic transformation—policies, budgets, and institutions that work for them. Until then, Nigeria cannot claim to be inclusive,” she said.
Established in April 2025, OFCD is championing structural change through six key pillars: healthcare support, inclusive education, mental health and well-being, family and community support, advocacy, and capacity building.
The Foundation has commenced a disability data-mapping project in the FCT, aimed at building Nigeria’s first national disability database—an initiative Ajaifia insists government should have launched years ago.
In his goodwill message, Dr. Chike Okogwu, Chief Responsibility Officer of the Center for Ability Rehabilitation and Empowerment (CARE), emphasised that inclusion is a constitutional responsibility, not charity.
“Empowering children with disabilities is justice, equity, and nation building. Policymakers must stop paying lip service. We need action in budgets, action in schools, and action in communities,” Okogwu charged.
The Foundation will officially launch in September 2025, showcasing creative works by children with disabilities as a rallying call for policymakers to prioritise inclusion.
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