LGs should commit 10-15% of budgets towards disability inclusion ― Group

A disability rights inclusion group, Inclusive Development Consults, has said that the Supreme Court judgement that granted financial autonomy to local government councils will serve as a great opportunity to strengthen disability inclusion across the country.

The group, according to a statement issued by its Chairman & Chief Consultant of the group, Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, stated that all the LGs, in the 2025 budgets, must commit between 10-15% of their budgets towards accelerating disability inclusion in their basic services.

Adebayo stated this in a statement made available to Nigerian Tribune on Sunday.

He lamented that persons with disabilities in the country usually go through very tortuous pains of traveling very long distances to look for, and access basic services like education, health, rehabilitation, etc.

Adebayo added that the low sensitivity of local government councils to persons with disabilities and their issues is compounded by the lack of legal or policy framework on disability at any of the local government level.

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He, however, noted that the local government autonomy portends an end to the poor access of PWDs to basic social services, especially within their immediate localities.

He listed the services that must be boosted by local councils to include the “Adoption of the Local Government Disability Framework which we developed in collaboration with Hope Inspired Foundation for Women and Youth with Disabilities (HIFWYD) and Disability Rights Fund (DRF) in 2023, and which was submitted to the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

“Setting-up a dedicated Office for Disability Affairs; Setting-up the process of collection and management of disability database; Provision of assistive technologies and materials to PWDs; Allocation of 5% employment quota to qualified PWDs.

“Allocation of 10-15% quota of social and economic empowerment benefits to PWDs; and Commencement of Disability Audits of essential services including primary health care, basic education and public buildings and infrastructure.”