Nigeria: University Moves to Tackle Discrimination Against Special Needs Students After Premium Times’ Investigation
In the investigation published in March, PREMIUM TIMES exposed how blind students across three Nigerian universities battle discrimination and neglect from other students and university officials.
The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State has inaugurated a committee to develop a “comprehensive disability policy” in the university.
The spokesperson of the UNN, Agha Inya, disclosed this in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday in response to this newspaper’s investigation, which exposed how blind students suffer discrimination in the institution.
The investigation, published in March 2025, also showed that students equally struggle with unpaved walkways, inaccessible classrooms, and inadequate support from lecturers.
Mr Inya acknowledged that some of the university’s “older buildings were constructed before accessibility standards became common practice,” but stressed that the university had begun efforts to correct the situation.
“The current Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, has inaugurated a high-level committee to develop a comprehensive University of Nigeria Disability Policy.
“This policy will strengthen institutional mechanisms for supporting staff and students with special needs and ensure continuous improvement in accessibility and inclusion,” he said.
The UNN spokesperson said the university has “deliberately” begun designing structures with ramps and other accessibility features to improve blind students ‘ access to classrooms.
“Also, the university’s internal roads are currently being reconstructed with pedestrian walkways to enhance mobility for all members of the university Community,” Mr Inya said.
The spokesperson said the university’s blind students do not experience “the level of difficulty portrayed” in the PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation.
“On the contrary, the university has a proud record of inclusivity and support for students with disabilities,” he argued, adding that the institution “gives special attention to students with disabilities.”
He added: “The welfare of all members of our university community, especially those with special needs, remains a top priority for the university management, and we remain committed to providing them with an enabling environment to thrive academically and socially.”
UNIZIK, UNIBEN silent
The PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation also showed that blind students suffer similar discrimination and lack of accessibility aids at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, (NAU) in Anambra State and University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State.
Like UNN and UNIBEN, NAU, popularly known as UNIZIK, is a federal university.
When contacted on 22 September 2025, the spokesperson of the UNIBEN, Benedicta Ehanire, asked our reporter to submit a written enquiry to get the university’s response to the investigation.
However, Ms Ehanire refused our reporter’s request for the enquiry to be done via email.
The UNIZIK spokesperson, Louis Njelita, declined to respond when PREMIUM TIMES presented him with the findings of its investigation into the university’s discrimination against blind students and lack of access aids.
When pressed for a response, Mr Njelita directed our reporter to a separate department that handles matters relating to students with disabilities.
“There is a unit or department handling something on disabled people… Anything disabled, you have to hear from the director,” he said.
When asked for the director’s contact details, the spokesperson declined to release the contact but instead requested a physical meeting with our reporter.
“You definitely need to come down to the school. So, whatever information you are being given, the person will be looking at an eyeball, not by phone,” he remarked.
Mr Njelita did not respond to further explanation that our reporter was based outside Anambra State, where the school is located.
The investigation
In the investigation published in March, PREMIUM TIMES exposed how blind students across the UNN, UNIZIK and UNIBEN battle discrimination and neglect from other students and university officials.
The report further showed that the absence of good hostel facilities usable by persons with disabilities and the lack of walkways combine to make life tough for blind students and other persons with disabilities in the universities.
A survey conducted by our reporters across the universities showed that lecturers frequently threatened most blind students across the three institutions to purchase specific materials for continuous assessment, which they could not read due to their disability.
Meanwhile, discrimination against persons with disabilities and the lack of accessibility aids violate Nigeria’s Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
Enacted in 2018 following nine years of advocacy by disability groups and activists in Nigeria, the Act was signed into law by the then-President, Muhammadu Buhari, on 23 January 2019.
The Act seeks to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities, ensure their access to public buildings and vehicles, and foster inclusive education in all public organisations.
The Act also ordered the provision of road sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and all other special facilities for persons with disabilities.
The Act imposes sanctions in the form of fines and imprisonment for defaulters.
It stipulates a five-year transitional period for public buildings and structures to become accessible and usable for persons with disability, which implies that the law could not be enforced until January 2024.
By Premium Times.
