The Need for Mandatory Legislations to Enhance Services to People with Disabilities in Nigeria

The promises concerning the provision of services to individuals with disabilities contained in Nigeria's National Policy on Special Education have not been implemented due to the absence of a legislative mandate to support their implementation. Consequently, the majority of individuals with disabilities in the country are not receiving educational and other relevant services. Based on the evidence of the positive impacts of legislation on special needs provision from several countries, this paper advocates for the enactment of mandatory laws in Nigeria in order to ensure that the right services would be provided to individuals with disabilities in the country. Although the process of enacting legislation on special needs provision could be problematic due to the prevailing political and economic crises in the country, it is argued, however, that effective advocacy activities by patient and professional organisations in the field of special needs could influence the government to take the needs of citizens with disabilities into consideration in policyformulation and legislative mandates.