AbilityX 2025: Stakeholders Chart New Course for Disability Inclusion in Nigeria
Sunday Ehigiator
Over 300 policymakers, private-sector leaders, innovators and disability advocates recently gathered for the AbilityX 2025, Nigeria’s foremost disability leadership conference, to advance conversations and actions on inclusive development for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The conference, organised by Project Enable Africa in partnership with Jobberman Nigeria and other strategic partners was themed: ‘The Future of Disability Inclusion in Nigeria’. It focused on how technology, data, policy reforms and innovation can be leveraged to drive sustainable inclusion nationwide.
Participants at the event examined persistent challenges facing PWDs, including gaps in policy implementation, limited employment opportunities, barriers in healthcare and infrastructure, and underrepresentation in decision-making spaces.
At the same time, speakers showcased practical and scalable solutions aimed at addressing these issues across sectors.
In his opening remarks, the Board Co-Chairman of Project Enable Africa, Dr. Kola Olugbodi, noted that, “Nigeria’s estimated 30 million persons with disabilities constitute a vast but underutilised talent pool, stressing the need for deliberate empowerment, policy reforms and inclusive representation to unlock their potential.”
The conference featured plenary sessions, breakout discussions and fireside chats covering inclusive data and budgeting, healthcare, finance, media, hospitality, employability and workplace inclusion.
Jobberman Nigeria led sessions on inclusive employment and service excellence, with speakers calling on organisations to integrate accessibility and equity into recruitment practices and workplace culture.
In her keynote address, the Group Executive at Sterling Financial Holdings, Temi Dalley, challenged prevailing narratives around disability, describing inclusion as a strategic advantage rather than a social obligation, and urged stakeholders to move from awareness to measurable action.
A highlight of AbilityX 2025 was the presentation of the AbilityX Impact Awards, which recognised organisations and individuals contributing significantly to disability inclusion. Award recipients included Access Tech Innovation and Research Centre, MTN Nigeria and Adejobi Adewoye.
Closing the event, the Executive Director of Project Enable Africa, Olalekan Owonikoko, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that outcomes from the conference translate into sustained action, noting that true inclusion requires collaboration, accountability and consistent implementation.
