Estimates vary for the number of people with disabilities in Nigeria, ranging from under 3 million people to over 25 million. Nigerian law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
The World report on disability, published in 2011, said about 25 million Nigerians had at least one disability, while 3.6 million of these had very significant difficulties in functioning.[3] The 2006 Nigerian census reported 3,253,169 people with disabilities, or 2.32% of the total population of 140,431,790 in that year.[4] However, the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, a Nigerian NGO, claims the census did not capture the full extent of disability in Nigeria, and has called on Nigeria's National Population Commission to cooperate with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for the 2016 census in order to measure disability more accurately.[5]
As at 2020, there are reportedly over 27 million Nigerians living with some form of disability.
The law prohibits discrimination against people living with disabilities PLWD and sanctions those who contravene with fines.[10] A five-year transitional period was stipulated for the modification of amenities particularly in public buildings and fixing assistive tools in vehicles to make them accessible and usable for people with disabilities.[11]
National Commission for Persons with Disabilities
In line with the Prohibition Act of 2018 bill, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and approved the appointment of James Lalu as its Executive Secretary. NCPWD is to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities, and to make every one of them have equal rights and opportunities like their counterparts with no disabilities.
^"Nigeria". Christian Blind Mission. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
^ abcdUmeh, Ngozi C; Adeola, Romola. "Nigeria". African Disability Rights Yearbook. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.