About 17.2 million women with disabilities in Nigeria face barriers to education, employment and other opportunities, according to a new report unveiled by the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD).
The report, titled “Assumptive Demographic Data on Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria,” provides a breakdown of persons with disabilities across states, gender and disability types, aimed at guiding inclusive policies and targeted interventions.
According to the dataset, Nigeria’s population of persons with disabilities is estimated at about 35 million. Of this number, female persons with disabilities account for approximately 17.2 million, while males are estimated at about 17.6 million.
The data also shows that physical disabilities constitute the largest group with about 8.2 million persons, followed by the deaf community with approximately 7.7 million.
Speaking during the presentation of the report, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Abba Isa, described the publication as a significant step toward advancing inclusive development and evidence-based policymaking for persons with disabilities in the country.
According to him, policymakers and development partners have for years relied on rough estimates of the disability population, often ranging between 25 million and 40 million, which made planning and programme design difficult.
The National President of JONAPWD, Abdullahi Usman, said the report was developed to address long-standing gaps in reliable demographic information about persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
He explained that the estimate was based on the global assumption that persons with disabilities constitute about 15 per cent of every country’s population, applied to Nigeria’s projected population figures.
Usman, however, noted that women with disabilities face additional challenges, including limited access to education, economic exclusion, gender-based violence and cultural barriers.
He stressed that addressing disability issues without considering gender disparities would be insufficient, urging policymakers to integrate both concerns into development planning.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the National Population Commission, Adeyi Daniel, commended the initiative, noting that Nigeria has not conducted a comprehensive population census since 2006.
He said the new dataset would help strengthen planning, governance and policy formulation aimed at improving the welfare and inclusion of persons with disabilities across the country.