The President of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Mr. David Daser, has called for a policy framework to remove all barriers preventing over 27 million Nigerians with disabilities from accessing digital education and securing quality employment.

Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on: “Digital Citizenship for Persons with Disability,” organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in Abuja, Daser emphasised that persons with disabilities should not be left behind as digital technologies become central to education, employment, governance, and health.

According to him, it is very important to ensure that no one is left behind, “especially the over 27 million Nigerians with disabilities, as we shape Nigeria’s digital future.”

Daser called for the immediate removal of all structural and systemic barriers to the full participation of persons with disabilities through a disability-aware policy framework and other initiatives.

He noted that empowering PWDs in the digital space entails not only providing access to technology but also ensuring that they have the skills, support systems, and confidence to thrive as equal digital citizens.

“Whether it’s through accessible user interfaces, screen readers, inclusive content design, or disability-aware policy frameworks, we must remove the structural and systemic barriers to full participation. This is not charity. It is not a favour. It is justice. Inclusion is a shared responsibility. The regulators, the educators, the private sector, and civil society must all lean in”.

Daser commended the NCC for convening the critical sensitisation workshop on digital citizenship and inclusion for persons with disabilities. He added that as the founding institution behind the Digital Bridge Institute, the commission has continued to demonstrate not just regulatory foresight, but a human-centred commitment to national development.

He pointed out that at the DBI, the mission has always aligned with this vision, adding, “We are not merely a training institution, we are a bridge to inclusion. Through our partnership with organisations such as Sightsavers, we have actively integrated disability inclusion into our digital skills programmes.

We have seen firsthand how adaptive technologies, inclusive learning designs, and policy-level engagement can transform lives.”
However, he advised all stakeholders in this initiative to take it further, even as he reminded them that inclusion is not an option, but an obligation.

In her speech, the NCC Director of Economy, Mrs Olatokunbo Oyeleye, said the workshop provided an opportunity to learn and plan, not just to gather together, but to truly engage.

She added that digital skill is required in all facet of lives and human endeavours. She advised the participants to take something home to improve and impact on the people living around them and their environment.

The NCC donated books on digital citizenship, about 100 copies, to the Persons with Disabilities Commission.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Ayuba Burkin Gufwan, commended the leadership of NCC for their forward-thinking initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide and enhancing the active participation of persons with disabilities in the digital ecosystem.

He, however, faulted the consultant for not including the blind in the workshop, claiming that the blind can also use a computer effectively.