The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has estimated that about 35 million Nigerians are living with disabilities, with Kano State and Lagos State recording the highest numbers in the country.

The figures were unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja during a press conference organised by JONAPWD for the public presentation of its Assumptive Disability Disaggregated Data, a report aimed at providing a clearer demographic picture of persons with disabilities across Nigeria.

According to the data, Kano State has the largest estimated population of persons with disabilities at about 2.5 million, followed by Lagos State with approximately 2.1 million.

Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Abba Isa, described the report as a major step toward addressing the long-standing challenge of inadequate and fragmented data on persons with disabilities in the country.

Isa said the absence of credible statistics had for years made it difficult for policymakers and development partners to design effective programmes and interventions targeted at persons with disabilities.

“For many years, different figures have been cited regarding the population of persons with disabilities in Nigeria, with estimates ranging between 25 million and 40 million. However, most of these numbers were based on speculation or incomplete information,” he said.

He noted that the new dataset provides a structured and disaggregated overview of the disability community across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, which will support evidence-based planning and policy formulation.

The report also provides a breakdown of disability clusters across the country.

According to the findings, physical disability constitutes the largest group, accounting for about 8.2 million persons, while the deaf community represents approximately 7.7 million people.

In terms of gender distribution, the report indicates that male persons with disabilities number about 17.6 million, while female persons with disabilities account for roughly 17.2 million.

Isa commended JONAPWD for initiating the study, describing it as a critical resource for government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and researchers working to advance disability inclusion in Nigeria.

He added that the administration of Bola Tinubu remains committed to strengthening inclusive policies and programmes through reliable data and improved institutional capacity under its Renewed Hope Agenda.

Also speaking, the National President of JONAPWD, Abdullahi Usman, explained that the estimate was derived using internationally recognised benchmarks which assume that persons with disabilities make up about 15 percent of any country’s population.