Stakeholders have called for urgent efforts to ensure that young Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) are actively included in Nigeria’s green economy and energy transition plans, warning that without intentional policies, systemic exclusion will persist in climate-related opportunities.

Speaking during a workshop training for young PwDs in Ibadan, Oyo State, the keynote speaker, Amina Audu, noted the absence of PwDs in mainstream climate conversations and warned that unless deliberate inclusion measures are taken, the green economy may reproduce the same barriers that have historically sidelined disabled communities.

Audu described PwDs not as passive beneficiaries but as critical solution providers with unique insights on resilience, innovation in sustainable practices, and deep community networks.

She noted, however, that systemic barriers such as inaccessible information, non-inclusive training centres, exclusion from funding and mentorship, and green policies that ignore disability continue to prevent many young PwDs from participating in the green economy.

She added that addressing these gaps requires multi-sectoral approach, urged government to recognise the potential of them leading the green transition, stating that inclusion is not just a matter of fairness, but a necessity for lasting and effective climate solutions.

The Convener and Coordinator of the GreenAbility project, Hannah Omokhaye, stressed that disability inclusion is critical to building a just, sustainable future.

She explained that the goal of the project is to open doors for young PwDs through education, leadership, skills development, and community building within the green sector.