The Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Kaduna State has expressed deep concern over persistent barriers limiting access to inclusive education and public services for persons with disabilities, despite existing policies and growing public awareness.
Speaking during the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Kaduna, the State Chairman of the organization, Rilwanu Mohammed, said children with disabilities continue to face systemic exclusion from education, healthcare, employment, and public infrastructure due to inadequate facilities, limited trained personnel, and weak enforcement of inclusive policies.
The event is being organized by the Kaduna State Government in partnership with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, with support from PLANE under the Better Nigeria Campaign.
He noted that many public schools across the state still lack basic accessibility features such as ramps, adapted toilets, learning aids, and trained inclusive education teachers, making it difficult for thousands of children with disabilities to enrol, remain in school, and succeed academically.
Mohammed also identified poor data management and the absence of reliable disability-disaggregated statistics as major challenges affecting effective planning and resource allocation.
While acknowledging the support of development partners, particularly the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), through enrolment drives and teacher training, he stressed that the scale of need remains far greater than the available resources.
He further observed that poverty, stigma, and ignorance at the community level continue to push many children with disabilities out of school and public life, calling for increased public awareness and community engagement.
The OPDs Chairman urged the Kaduna State Government, private sector, civil society organisations, and international partners to increase investments in accessible infrastructure, inclusive education, economic empowerment, and political participation for persons with disabilities.
He warned that failure to take deliberate action could undermine Nigeria’s progress towards achieving key Sustainable Development Goals on education, reduced inequalities, and inclusive cities.
He appealed for stronger policy implementation, increased budgetary allocation for disability inclusion, and meaningful engagement of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes, describing inclusive development as “a necessity, not a favour.”
In his address, the representative of the State Team Lead of Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria PLANE, Result and Learning Manager Musa Jimoh said PLANE is always ready to partner in supporting the education of persons with disabilities in the state.
He said PLANE enrolled over three thousand children of persons with disabilities into public schools in Kaduna state.
“Many children across the state experience difficulties in learning, hearing, vision, mobility, behaviour, communication, memory, and concentration, which often go unnoticed in the early years of schooling”
“These challenges, combined with inaccessible school environments, limited support services, poorly trained teachers and lingering social stigma, have continued to expose vulnerable learners to learning loss and school dropout.
“To close this long-standing gap, the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the State Disability Affairs Board (DAB), has completed the deployment of the Child Functioning Module (CFM) in October 2025″.
” The CFM is a standardised, school-based tool designed to help teachers identify functional difficulties among Primary One learners”.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Association of Blind Persons in Kaduna State, Ibrahim Abubakar Hanwa, lamented the challenges faced by visually impaired persons, particularly in accessing education due to the lack of facilities and financial support.
He stressed that education remains the most effective tool for empowering their members and enabling them to contribute meaningfully to society.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Spinal Cord Injury Association in Kaduna State, Happiness Bature, told Radio Nigeria Kaduna that her members face serious challenges, including limited access to medical facilities, shortage of specialist doctors, and the high cost of drugs and therapy.
She appealed to the Kaduna State Government to reopen disability centres in Kafanchan, Soba, and Kaduna to improve access to critical services.
The representatives of Kaduna State Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board were in attendance.
COV: Adamu Yusuf
