The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has called on government at all levels, private sector, and public to work collectively to build an inclusive society where persons with disabilities (PWDs) could thrive.
The Acting Director of the Centre, Mr Godwin Unumeri, made the call in a statement to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The IDPD marked annually on Dec.3 has the 2025 theme: “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress”.
Unumeri said that “the theme strongly aligned with the Centre’s long-standing commitment to promoting the rights, inclusion, participation, and empowerment of persons with disabilities.”
He said, “For many years, CCD has worked to ensure that both state and non-state actors mainstream disability inclusion into their programmes, policies, and services.
“As we mark the 2025 edition of IDPD, we reiterate our dedication to building a society where every person regardless of disability status can access equal opportunities, participate fully, and reach their full potential”.
According to him, in spite progress made through global frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, PWDs in Nigeria continued to face staggering obstacles.
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Unumeri said PWDs challenges were deepened by their exclusion from governance structures, political processes, leadership positions, and community decision-making platforms.
As a result, he said, their voices were often overlooked in shaping policies that directly affect their lives.
Unumeri emphasised the need for the creation of an inclusive society for the PWDs to thrive, saying that creating a truly inclusive society requires deliberate, sustained, and coordinated action.
He said that social progress cannot be achieved when millions of persons with disabilities remain systematically excluded from education, employment, healthcare, infrastructure, public services, and social protection systems.
“Social development rooted in poverty eradication, productive employment, decent work, and inclusive public participation can not be realised without disability inclusion at its centre.
“For societies to be cohesive, resilient, and accountable, institutions must ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy equal access to opportunities and are recognised as contributors to national development,” he said.
NAN