The Federal Government has introduced a special budget line to strengthen support for persons with disabilities (PwDs) across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Acting Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. John Ovuoraye, disclosed this during an event organised by the Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) in Abuja.

He said the move marks a decisive shift from donor dependence to sustained government funding for disability interventions.

Ovuoraye said the Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, approved the budget line, noting that universal health coverage would remain unattainable if persons with disabilities (PWDs) were not deliberately included in planning and financing.

He said each ministry now has its own disability component within the annual budget, allowing them to directly fund programmes, services and infrastructure targeted at improving access for PwDs.

“We already have a desk officer for disability inclusion in the department, but beyond that, the minister has approved a direct budget line to implement disability plans and programmes.

“This is government funding dedicated strictly to inclusion, separate from donor contributions and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund,” he said.

He explained that the new funding stream will support accessibility upgrades in health facilities such as proper ramps, widened doors, accessible toilets, colour-coded navigation for people with visual impairment, and trained support personnel for patients with hearing or dual disabilities.

According to him, the directive issued in 2024 to all federal and tertiary health facilities to improve accessibility will now be backed by predictable funding, ensuring nationwide implementation instead of ad-hoc modifications.
Ovuoraye said that the disability budget line aligns with the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, which mandates every ministry to implement sector-specific components for PWDs.

“Every ministry has responsibilities under the 2018 Act. For us in health, this budget line ensures we can fulfil our mandate without waiting for donors. The population of persons with disabilities is large, and more resources are needed, but this represents a crucial starting point.

He noted that while previous administrations made attempts to allocate funds for disability inclusion, the 2024/2025 provision is separate, bigger, and more structured.

Speaking, VDI executive director, Catherine Edeh, called on the Nigerian government, civil society, and the public to move beyond rhetoric and fully implement disability-inclusive policies, adding that inclusion is a right, not charity.

She observed the daily challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Nigeria, noting that women and girls with disabilities face heightened risks of gender-based violence, denied access to education and usually struggle to access employment, healthcare, and justice.

“These are not abstract statistics. They are lived experiences painful, daily reminders that disability inclusion is not a privilege; it is a right,” she stressed.

She called for full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, greater investment in disability-inclusive justice systems, institutional reforms to embed accessibility across all sectors, and sustainable partnerships among government, civil society, international partners, and the disability community.

In his remarks, Director Compliance & Enforcement at the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Nkem Uchegbulam, said legal protections are now available under the Act.
He said, “Today we mark Disability International Day for Persons with Disabilities in a different style. We mark it because we have a right under the law.

“The Commission will enforce all enforceable laws that say that persons with disabilities must be mainstreamed into the society,” he said.

Chief Facilitator at Edoka Trauma Care Centre, Ene Ede, stressed the need for accountability and active participation by all organisations.
She called on civil society and media to monitor the proper implementation of the Disability Act while noting the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities are included in all project planning and implementation.