Fewer than one per cent of the 35 million persons living with disabilities in Nigeria are in gainful employment as professionals.
The Co-Founder of Ability Impact Centre, Olusola Adeyefa, disclosed this on Sunrise, a programme on Channels Television, attributing the low employment rate to limited access to quality education, which he described as costly.
“Realistically, if you examine that percentage in terms of data, fewer than one per cent of the 35 million are genuinely professionals, and the reason is not far-fetched.
“Access to education is challenging. Quality education is expensive. I attended Obafemi Awolowo University. I faced architectural and attitudinal barriers,” said Adeyefa, who became disabled following a road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the age of 18.
“Securing employment is still hindered by nepotism. I would say that the number of privileged persons with disabilities remains very small.
“What we do, once we become these so-called privileged persons with disabilities, is to advocate on behalf of others, showing them the path and creating opportunities for their inclusion,” he added.
Adeyefa noted that the 2024 State of Disability Inclusion Report revealed that some states which had adopted the disability rights legislation have agencies responsible for its enforcement.
However, he pointed out that several of these agencies are underperforming and require both strengthening and proper funding.