On the Commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IGD)
As the global community commemorates the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IGD), the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Lagos State Chapter, joins millions of voices around the world to reaffirm our commitment to a society where persons with disabilities (PWDs) can live, learn, work, and thrive without barriers. This year’s theme, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” reflects a powerful truth: no society can truly progress when any segment of its population is left behind.
Today, we celebrate the resilience, courage, and determination of PWDs across Lagos State and Nigeria—women, men, youth, and children who continue to rise above systemic obstacles, societal stigma, and limited opportunities. Despite numerous challenges, our community remains steadfast, innovative, and committed to contributing meaningfully to national development. Your resilience is the foundation upon which disability inclusion must be built.
We also acknowledge and appreciate the Lagos State Government for the intentional steps it continues to take to institutionalize disability issues within the governance and development agenda of the State. Lagos remains one of the few states in Nigeria with a robust disability law and a dedicated disability affairs office. These are commendable strides that signal political will.
In the same vein, we extend our appreciation to the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) for its growing range of social intervention programmes. These include financial support to deserving PWDs, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), as well as initiatives aimed at enhancing empowerment and community participation. These efforts provide critical relief and support for many within the disability community.
However, as we celebrate progress, we must also confront the work that remains undone.
JONAPWD Lagos State calls on LASODA and all disability agencies across Nigeria to elevate their institutional role and strategic relevance beyond the limited perception of “glorified NGOs” that primarily distribute cash support and assistive devices. While such interventions are helpful, they must not overshadow or replace the core mandate of disability laws, which is to transform society and secure the rights, dignity, and full inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Disability agencies must be strengthened—legally, financially, and operationally—to function as true regulatory and coordinating institutions, ensuring real accountability and inclusion across government ministries, departments, and agencies. Their focus must expand to promoting and safeguarding:
- Access to quality and impactful education at all levels
- Inclusive and affordable healthcare services
- Robust social protection systems that protect the vulnerable
- Equal economic opportunities, decent work, and skills development
- Accessibility of the built environment, public infrastructure, and transportation systems
- Digital inclusion and protection in the evolving technological landscape
- Implementation and enforcement of disability laws in their full spirit and letters
This is the level of institutional transformation required to foster a disability-inclusive society that truly advances social progress.
On this 2025 IGD, we reaffirm the commitment of JONAPWD Lagos State to continue working collaboratively with government, disability agencies, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and our OPDs to push the boundaries of what is possible. A society that is inclusive is not only fair—it is more innovative, more prosperous, and more sustainable.
As we look toward the future, may we recommit ourselves to building a Lagos State—and a Nigeria—where disability inclusion is not an act of charity, but a guarantee of rights; not a periodic intervention, but a permanent feature of governance; not a slogan, but an achieved reality.
Together, we can foster disability-inclusive societies that advance genuine social progress for all.
Signed:
Abolarinwa Salami
Chairman, JONAPWD Lagos State Chapter
December 2025
