Disability advocates, journalists and public finance experts have described the N8.2bn allocated to persons with disabilities in Nigeria’s 2026 Appropriation Act as grossly inadequate, warning that poor budget implementation, corruption and lack of transparency continue to undermine efforts to improve their welfare.
The experts made the observations on Sunday during an X Space discussion titled Nigeria Disability Budget Discussion, organised by PWDSpotlight in collaboration with the BO Foundation for Inclusive Media and BO News.
The discussion examined the Federal Government’s allocation of N8.2bn for disability related programmes and projects, despite an estimated population of more than 30 million persons with disabilities across the country.
Speaking during the session, Habeeb Adisa, Project Manager of PWDSpotlight, said the organisation’s review of the 2026 Appropriation Act revealed that N2.0044bn was allocated to awareness campaigns, programmes and policy development.
He explained that skills acquisition received N1.413bn, while construction projects accounted for N1.86bn.
Adisa said the discussion was particularly important as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general election cycle, when citizens would have an opportunity to assess government performance and demand accountability.
Also speaking, Blessing Oladunjoye of BOFIM and BO News described the allocation as insufficient to address the numerous challenges confronting persons with disabilities.
She explained that the N8.2bn allocation would amount to approximately N273 per person if shared among the estimated 30 million beneficiaries.
Oladunjoye noted that persons with disabilities face additional financial burdens, including transportation expenses, healthcare costs, assistive devices and the need to hire guides to navigate public spaces.
She argued that disability inclusion should not be treated as the responsibility of one government agency, stressing that ministries responsible for education, health, transportation, infrastructure and other public services must incorporate accessibility into their programmes.
She also urged journalists to monitor budget implementation by comparing approved allocations with actual fund releases and expenditure reports.
A disability inclusive development specialist, Adebukola Adebayo, said Nigeria had made progress in establishing legal and institutional frameworks for disability inclusion, but inadequate funding and poor implementation remained major challenges.
He noted that nearly 30 states had enacted disability laws, while about 22 or 23 states had established disability agencies.
However, he questioned the effectiveness of these institutions when approved funds were not adequately released or utilised.
Adebayo proposed that every ministry, department and agency should establish a disability desk officer or dedicated unit to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are considered in policy formulation and implementation.
He also identified corruption and procurement irregularities as major obstacles to effective disability funding.
Recounting his experience while serving on the board of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs between 2016 and 2019, Adebayo said a supplier once delivered a fairly used vehicle under a contract meant for assistive devices and vehicles.
He said the board rejected the item and reported the matter to the state government.
Meanwhile, Oluwatimilehin Olugbemi of BudgIT called for greater transparency in disability related budget allocations.
She explained that some budget items grouped persons with disabilities alongside widows, elderly people and other vulnerable groups without specifying how the funds would be distributed among the beneficiaries.
Olugbemi cited an N250m allocation in Osun State for vulnerable people, widows, persons with disabilities and elderly citizens, noting that the budget description did not clearly indicate the amount designated for each group.
She urged government agencies to publish details of project costs, fund releases, procurement records and the number of beneficiaries reached.
The experts also called for stronger collaboration between government disability agencies and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities to ensure that budgetary decisions reflect the actual needs of beneficiaries.
Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act was signed into law in January 2019 to prohibit discrimination and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
However, the experts maintained that legislation alone would not guarantee inclusion without adequate funding, transparency, accountability and effective implementation.
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