The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Hon. Ayuba Burki Gufwan, says a strategic partnership between NCPWD and NIPDID will help bridge gaps in disability-inclusive programmes and address the challenges facing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria.
Hon. Ayuba stated this at the NIPDID one-day Strategic Meeting held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in Abuja. He was represented by the Director, Social Integration, Lawrence Idemudia.
He noted that despite progress since the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, implementation gaps remain across education, healthcare, employment, accessibility, social protection, political participation and access to justice. He also cited poor disability-disaggregated data, weak institutional capacity, inadequate financing and weak accountability mechanisms.
“The existence of laws, policies and institutional structures does not automatically translate into improved lives for Persons with Disabilities. These challenges cannot be addressed by government acting alone. They require strategic partnerships, coordinated investments, technical expertise, shared knowledge and sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, civil society and other relevant actors,” he said.
Hon. Ayuba commended NIPDID for reviewing its experience and repositioning itself for greater relevance and impact. He said the proposed Strategic Partnership Framework for 2027-2030 would move the partnership beyond information sharing to deliberate strategic coordination, aligned investments, joint initiatives and collective accountability for results.
He added that the future relationship would be guided by a shared understanding of roles, mandates and comparative advantages, and would be practical, focused and results-oriented.
He urged participants to identify concrete areas of collaboration for the remaining months of 2026, while laying a solid foundation for implementation of the new Framework from 2027.
He called on participants to be frank, constructive and forward-looking, and to move beyond identifying challenges to agreeing on practical solutions, clear responsibilities and measurable commitments that will improve the rights, dignity, opportunities and quality of life of PWDs across Nigeria.
Earlier, the representative of Sightsavers, Esther Bature, said the Nigeria Partnership for Disability-Inclusive Development (NIPDID) was birthed in 2021 by three development partners — the World Bank, Sightsavers and FCDO — and commenced full operations in September 2022.
She said NIPDID has streamlined the activities of development partners by ensuring a well-coordinated approach without overlap or duplication of roles. She called for sustained synergy to address challenges including exclusion, capacity gaps and lack of reliable data for planning and programme implementation.
In separate remarks, the Christian Blind Mission Global (CBM) and the World Bank called for effective contribution, fairness and teamwork for the overall good of the disability community.
The facilitator, Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, traced the journey of NIPDID: established in 2022, platform development in 2023, changing context in 2025, and strategic reflection in 2026.
He listed key priorities for a more inclusive Nigeria: enforce accessibility, make employment real, strengthen states, mainstream inclusion, build the data system, advocacy and sensitisation, education and research.
Since its establishment, NIPDID has provided a platform for international development partners to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaboration, coordinate development assistance and support disability-inclusive development in Nigeria.
The high point of the meeting was the setting up of a committee to guide the finalisation and adoption of the NIPDID four-year Strategic Partnership Framework, in line with the theme: “Strengthening Strategic Partnership for Accelerated Disability-Inclusive Development in Nigeria: Conceptualizing a New NIPDID Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) and Defining Joint Priorities with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.”
Signed: Ishaku Kigbu (anipr)
Head, Media and Publicity Unit,
National Commission for Persons with Disabilities
10th November, 2026
